Frank B. Miller Files

Frank Miller, ILR professor emeritus and Cornell mace bearer, dies at 84

Frank B. Miller Jr., professor emeritus at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) and expert on organizational behavior who carried Cornell's mace for 20 years at university events, died March 2 at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca. He was 84.

A memorial mass and celebration of Miller's life was held in Anabel Taylor Hall chapel March 10.

Miller joined the ILR School faculty in 1954 as an assistant professor after completing his Ph.D. there and undergraduate studies in psychology at Reed College. He became associate professor in 1960 and professor in 1966.

During his 31 years as a faculty member, Miller taught courses on a range of subjects, including complex organizations; small groups in industrial organizations; and applied human relations. He also designed the first course on women in the workplace at the ILR School and co-taught it with colleague Alice Cook, a world-renowned expert on issues faced by working women. In addition, Miller chaired the organizational behavior department for several years (1967-69) and served two terms as director of the school's Office of Resident Instruction (1962-67).

As a visiting professor at the University of Istanbul in 1960-61, Miller gave lectures that were translated into Turkish and became a textbook for personnel studies courses there. He also contributed chapters to books on industrial sociology and worker incentives and was a fellow of the American Sociological Society and the Society of Applied Anthropology.

Although he attained emeritus status in 1985, Miller continued teaching part time at Cornell and Bernard Baruch College in New York City for another 10 years.