Kelly Miller (scientist)
| Kelly Miller | |
|---|---|
 Kelly Miller |
|
| Born | July 23, 1863 Winnsboro, South Carolina |
| Died | December 29, 1939 (aged 76) Washington, D.C. |
| Occupation | mathematician, sociologist, essayist, newspaper columnist and author |
Kelly Miller (July 23, 1863 – December 29, 1939) was an African American mathematician, sociologist, essayist, newspaper columnist, author, and an important figure in the intellectual life of black America for close to half a century.
[edit] Career
Miller was born in Winnsboro, South Carolina in 1863, and graduated from Howard University in 1886. He was the first African-American admitted to Johns Hopkins University when he began his graduate studies in mathematics, physics, and astronomy. Appointed professor of mathematics at Howard in 1890, Miller introduced sociology into the curriculum in 1895, serving as professor of sociology from 1895 to 1934. As dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, he modernized the classical curriculum, strengthening the natural and social sciences. Miller graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1903.[1]
Miller was a prolific writer of articles and essays which were published in major newspapers and magazines, and several books including Out of the House of Bondage. Miller assisted W. E. B. Du Bois in editing The Crisis, the official journal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).[1] In the 1920s and 1930s, his weekly column appeared in more than 100 newspapers.
He also believed that blacks should favor free market rather than government or union power, stating:
"The capitalist has but one dominating motive, the production and sale of goods. The race or color of the producer counts but little.... The capitalist stands for an open shop which gives to every man the unhindered right to work according to his ability and skill. In this proposition the capitalist and the Negro are as one".[2]
On African American education policy, Miller aligned himself with neither the "radicals" — Du Bois and the Niagara Movement — nor the "conservatives" — the followers of Booker T. Washington.[citation needed] Miller sought a middle way, a comprehensive education system that would provide for "symmetrical development" of African American citizens by offering both vocational and intellectual instruction.[citation needed]
Miller was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Kelly Miller Biography (1863–1939)". biography.com. http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9408577. Retrieved 2007-11-13.[dead link]
- ^ Olasky, Marvin. "History turned right side up". WORLD magazine. 13 February 2010. p. 22.
- ^ "Notable Alpha Men". Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Mu Lambda chapter. http://www.mulambda.org/page.php?parent_id=&page_id=15979. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
