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Overview

Biographical Note

Scope and Content

Arrangement

Preferred Citation

Restrictions on Access

Subject Terms

Container List [ + ]

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Guide to the George Amos and Margaret Ross Miller Papers

Prepared by Morris L. Davis, Jr., Manuscripts Processor, and Myeongho Cha, Student Assistant.

United Methodist Archives and History Center
General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church

4/28/1999


Overview of Collection

Record Creator: Miller, George Amos
Title: George Amos and Margaret Ross Miller Papers
Date Span: 1861-1982 Click here to view the finding aid format suitable for requesting material at the Archives.
Abstract: George Amos Miller and Margaret Ross Miller were Methodist Episcopal Church missionaries to Central and South America. This collection is made up of material relating to their work in Mexico, Central and South America, their retirement, and correspondence with their daughter Evelyn.
Extent: 17.5 cubic feet



Biographical Note

George Amos Miller (1868-1961) and Margaret Ross Miller (1870-1955) spent nearly three decades as missionaries and administrators for the Methodist Episcopal Church in Central and South America. Both attended Stanford University in California, and they were married in 1894.

After George Miller's ordination in 1896, they served churches in California until 1904, during which time they had their two daughters, Marian and Evelyn. In 1905 the Millers took their first overseas assignment when George Miller became pastor of Central Church in Manila. IN 1907, the Millers returned to the United States, where George Miller worked for the American Bible Society. He returned to local church work in 1908, and served churches in California until the Millers took their first assignment as missionaries in 1917. George Miller served as mission superintendent (1917-1919), and began pioneering Methodist work in Costa Rica.

George Miller was appointed executive secretary of mission work in South America for the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1920, and served this post from Santiago, Chile. While in Chile, Margaret Miller began her effort to organize women's groups on the mission fields. These groups were later organized into the Federation of Women's Societies, for which she wrote several study books. She also wrote and published Women Under the Southern Cross for the sixteen denominations in the U.S. that combined their missionary study courses. Conference. Miller was elected bishop in 1924 served one quadrennium each from headquarters in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Santiago. He retired in 1934, served a local church in Lafayette, California, and continued his interest in Latin American missions. Margaret Miller served as president of the Pacific branch of the former Women's Foreign Missionary Society, serving also in that capacity in the Women's Society of Christian Service.


Scope Note

The majority of this collection covers the years the Millers spent in Mexico and Central and South America, and extends to their retirement in California. Correspondence from both of the Millers to their daughter Evelyn ranges from 1915 to the late 1940s. There is also correspondence between George Miller and friends and supporters in the U.S., as well as limited administrative correspondence with church leaders in Panama, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, and Board of Missions personnel in the U.S. Photographs from the different mission fields make up another large portion of the collection. There also are photographs of the Miller family from the late nineteenth century. The Millers made films and audio tapes of mission work for use in their lectures and presentations in the U.S. These are preserved in collection. The audio tapes are in seven inch reel format. The films are both in original 16mm format and have been copied onto VHS and Beta tapes for viewing. The remainder of the collection is made up of copies of the Miller's various publications, including books and articles, short essays and drafts of published work, as well as collected articles, clippings, newsletters, and essays by other authors on the topic of missions.


Arrangement

Materials have been arranged in the following manner.

Series: Artifacts
Series: Audio-Visual
subseries: Audio Tapes (7 in. reels)
subseries: Films
Series: Clippings and Newsletters
Series: Correspondence
subseries: General Correspondence
subseries: George Miller to Daughter
subseries: Margaret Miller to Daughter
Series: Manuscripts
subseries: Film Scenarios
subseries: Genealogy
subseries: Miscellaneous
subseries: Music
subseries: Reports and Notes
subseries: Sermons and Sermon Outlines
subseries: Writings
Series: Photographs
subseries: Countries
subseries: General
subseries: Oversize
subseries: Personal and Family
subseries: Scrapbook
Series: Printed Matter
subseries: Evelyn Miller
subseries: George Miller
subseries: Margaret Miller
subseries: Miscellaneous

Preferred Citation

When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder, George Amos and Margaret Ross Miller Papers, United Methodist Church Archives - GCAH, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the items' call number as that is not a stable descriptor.


Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions on this collection.


Index Terms

Additional Creators - Personal
:Berger, Evelyn Miller.
Subject Topics
Bishops
Methodist Episcopal Church-Missions-History
Missions.
Subject Geographic
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Mexico
Panama
Peru.
United States
Genre
Audio-visual materials
Clippings
Correspondence.
Photograph albums
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Sermons
Occupations
Bishops.
Missionaries


Container List


Series: Artifacts
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1593-4-6: 1 Ordination Certificate to the Episcopacy 1924
1593-4-6: 2 Printed Document in Chinese: Government of the Republic of China, endorsement for Famine Colonization Association 1912
1593-4-6: 3 Poster from Centenary of M.E. Church in Latin America Promotion Program, I 1920-1924
1593-4-6: 4 Poster from Centenary of M.E. Church in Latin America Promotion Program, II 1920-1924
1599-4-4: 15 Passports: George and Margaret Miller 1918-1937
1599-4-4: 16 Medals: WFMS Annual Conference, 1938; General Conferences, 1940 and 1960 1938-1960
2457-2-1: 7 Poster from Centenary of M.E. Church in Latin America Promotion Program, III 1920-1924

Series: Audio-Visual
Sub-series: Audio Tapes (7 in. reels)
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1601-2-1: 6 George Miller - Sermon, Lafayette, CA 1948
1601-2-1: 7 George Miller - "Talk to Retired Ministers Dinner" 1948
1601-2-1: 8 George Miller - "Dedication of New Pulpit" 1948
1601-2-2: 1 George Miller - Sermon 1949
1601-2-2: 2 George Miller - Sermon, "Think Well of Yourself" 1949
1601-2-2: 3 George Miller - Sermon, Lafayette, CA 1953
1601-2-2: 4 George Miller - Sermon, Lafayette, CA 1955
1601-2-2: 5 "Dedication of Margaret Miller Memorial Chapel" 1959
1601-2-2: 6 Graduation Exercises, Alajuela Training School, I 1961
1601-2-2: 7 Graduation Exercises, Alajuela Training School, II 1961
1601-2-2: 8 Funeral Services for George Miller, Bishop Donald Tippett, Speaker 1961
1601-2-2: 9 Introduction of First Lecture, Miller Lectureship, Scarritt College 1967
Sub-series: Films
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1601-2-2: 10 Negative of TV Film: George Miller's funeral service 1961

Series: Clippings and Newsletters
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1601-2-3: 1 Tico Times c.1924
1601-2-3: 2 Topical File: South America c.1924
1601-2-3: 3 George Miller's Clippings file 1914-1943
1601-2-3: 4 George Miller's Clippings File, II 1914-1949
1601-2-3: 5 Clippings 1914-1966
1601-2-3: 6 Clipped Articles by George Miller 1915-1937
1601-2-3: 7 Clippings: Panamerica World Peace 1924-1946
1601-2-3: 8 Topical File: Costa Rica 1931-1961
1601-2-3: 9 Topical File: Mexico 1926-1952
1601-2-3: 10 "The Classmate" 1928-1937
1601-2-3: 11 Million Unit Fellowship 1936-1939
1601-2-3: 12 Peru and Bolivia 1936-1962
1601-2-3: 13 Newsletters 1938-1939
1601-2-3: 14 "Missionary News" 1939-1940

Series: Correspondence
Sub-series: General Correspondence
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-4-3: 1 George and Margaret Miller, Steamer Letters 1904
1599-4-3: 2 Parents of George Miller 1908-1949
1599-4-3: 3 From Louis Fiske 1916-1965
1599-4-3: 4 Percy Morris 1917-1965
1599-4-3: 5 Maud Empey 1918-1965
1599-4-3: 6 Margaret Miller 1920-1939
1599-4-3: 7 Chile, Peru, Bolivia 1929-1959
1599-4-3: 8 George Miller to Santander, Sosa, Soto, Swain 1925-1965
1599-4-3: 9 Bishops 1925-1966
1599-4-3: 10 Board of Missions, NY 1931-1960
1599-4-3: 11 George Miller's sister Clara 1933-1961
1599-4-3: 12 Bullock, Howard, Alpizar, Eaker 1934-1960
1599-4-3: 13 Cooperating Council: Panama, Costa Rica 1934-1951
1599-4-3: 14 Panama 1935-1959
1599-4-3: 15 James E. Ellis, Board of Missions, Costa Rica 1936-1959
1599-4-3: 16 Leon L. Loofbourow, Panama California Conference 1936-1938
1599-4-3: 17 Murray, Mora, Jimenez 1936-1950
1599-4-3: 18 Costa Rica 1937-1959
1599-4-4: 1 E.E. Greenough 1939-1942
1599-4-4: 2 E.E. Greenough 1943-1967
1599-4-4: 3 John D. Crummey 1947-1971
1599-4-4: 4 L.C. Vannah 1947-1953
1599-4-4: 5 Elsie Keyser 1949-1958
1599-4-4: 6 E. G. Boardman 1950-1959
1599-4-4: 7 Leon and Dorothy Miller 1950-1960
1599-4-4: 8 Rev. Ada Hocking 1956-1961
1599-4-4: 9 James Snedeker, Alejuela Training School 1956-1960
1599-4-4: 10 Marion Woods 1956-1960
1599-4-4: 11 Reginald Inwood 1958-1960
1599-4-4: 12 Herbert Tavenner 1958-1965
1599-4-4: 13 Evelyn Miller 1958-1971
1599-4-4: 14 Jess Berger 1959-1967
Sub-series: George Miller to Daughter
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-4-1: 1 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1915-1917
1599-4-1: 2 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1919
1599-4-1: 3 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1920
1599-4-1: 4 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1921
1599-4-1: 5 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1922
1599-4-1: 6 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1923
1599-4-1: 7 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1924
1599-4-1: 8 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1924-1925
1599-4-1: 9 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1926
1599-4-1: 10 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1927
1599-4-1: 11 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1928
1599-4-1: 12 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1929
1599-4-1: 13 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1930
1599-4-1: 14 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1931
1599-4-1: 15 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1932
1599-4-1: 16 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1933
1599-4-1: 17 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1934
1599-4-1: 18 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1935
1599-4-1: 19 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1936
1599-4-1: 20 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1937
1599-4-1: 21 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1938
1599-4-1: 22 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1939
1599-4-1: 23 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1940-1944
1599-4-1: 24 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1946-1949
1599-4-1: 25 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1948-1949
1599-4-1: 26 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1950
1599-4-1: 27 George Miller Letters to Daughter 1950-1959
Sub-series: Margaret Miller to Daughter
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-4-1: 28 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1916-1917
1599-4-1: 29 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1919
1599-4-1: 30 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1920
1599-4-2: 1 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1921
1599-4-2: 2 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1923
1599-4-2: 3 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1924
1599-4-2: 4 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1925
1599-4-2: 5 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1925-1926
1599-4-2: 6 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1926
1599-4-2: 7 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1927
1599-4-2: 8 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1928
1599-4-2: 9 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1929
1599-4-2: 10 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1930
1599-4-2: 11 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1931
1599-4-2: 12 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1932
1599-4-2: 13 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1933
1599-4-2: 14 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1934
1599-4-2: 15 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1935
1599-4-2: 16 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1936
1599-4-2: 17 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1937
1599-4-2: 18 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1938
1599-4-2: 19 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1939
1599-4-2: 20 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1942-1943
1599-4-2: 21 Margaret Miller Letters to Daughter 1944

Series: Manuscripts
Sub-series: Film Scenarios
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-5-4: 9 "Lost in Paradise" 1937
1599-5-4: 10 Various Drafts 1942-1943
Sub-series: Genealogy
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-5-4: 15 Geneological Materials, Miller Family 1861-1967
Sub-series: Miscellaneous
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-5-4: 18 Certificates and Awards 1868-1960
1599-5-4: 19 Panama 1919-1963
1599-5-4: 20 Autograph Book 1920
1599-5-4: 21 Church Building Plans 1921-1930
1599-5-4: 22 Guestbook 1922-1923
1599-5-4: 23 Alajuela Seminary, Costa Rica 1926-1967
1599-5-5: 3 Costa Rica 1928-1968
1599-5-5: 4 Bishop Oldham in South America 1937-1955
1599-5-5: 5 Estate Mrs. Grace Jull 1939-1949
1599-5-5: 6 Consecration of a Bishop 1940
1599-5-5: 7 Women's Work - Margaret Miller 1940-1957
1599-5-5: 8 Costa Rica, General 1941-1963
1599-5-5: 9 Lafayette, California: George Miller, retirement 1939-1953
1599-5-5: 10 Lafayette Church 1944-1946
1599-5-5: 11 Course: Religion and Mental Health 1942-1950
1599-5-5: 13 Lectureship Honoring the Millers, Scarritt College: Inter-American Information 1963-1974
1599-5-5: 14 Panama/Costa Rica Mission, General 1931-1967
Sub-series: Music
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
Sub-series: Reports and Notes
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-5-3: 14 Reports and Notes, Latin American Mission 1930-1937
1599-5-3: 15 Reports 1931-1938
1599-5-4: 1 Notes 1938-1943
1599-5-4: 2 Costa Rica and the Costa Ricans 1938-1960
Sub-series: Sermons and Sermon Outlines
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-5-2: 7 Notes for Sermons 1889-1935
1599-5-2: 8 Notebook of Notes and Outlines 1907-1912
1599-5-2: 9 Notebook 1902-1938
1599-5-2: 10 Sermon Outlines 1907-1954
1599-5-2: 11 Sermon Outlines 1919-1943
1599-5-3: 1 Notes and Sermon Outlines 1920-1954
1599-5-3: 2 Notebook 1924-1943
1599-5-3: 3 Notebook 1925-1941
1599-5-3: 4 Notebook 1925-1928
1599-5-3: 5 Notebook 1926-1951
1599-5-3: 6 Notebook 1928-1929
1599-5-3: 7 Sermon Outlines c.1953
1599-5-3: 8 Sermon Outlines c.1961
1599-5-3: 9 Sermons c.1954
1599-5-3: 10 Sermons and Outlines c.1954
Sub-series: Writings
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-5-1: 11 Drafts of Essays on Latin America, with Supporting Documents c. 1942
1599-5-1: 12 Draft: "California Pioneer Days" 1958
1599-5-1: 13 Handmade Book: "The Peace of God" 1901
1599-5-1: 14 Excerpts from George Miller Letters to Daughter 1920-1935
1599-5-1: 15 Articles - George Miller 1924-1946
1599-5-2: 2 Articles, South America 1930-1939
1599-5-2: 3 "Dawn" Chile Story 1932
1599-5-2: 4 "Missions in the Wild World" 1936
1599-5-2: 5 Unfinished Work - George Miller 1954

Series: Photographs
Sub-series: Countries
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-6-2: 1 Argentina 1922-1933
1599-6-2: 2 Argentina 1929-1933
1599-6-2: 3 Bolivia c.1924
1599-6-2: 4 The Indians of Bolivia 1940-1952
1599-6-2: 5 Chile c.1922
1599-6-2: 6 Chile I 1919-1956
1599-6-2: 7 Chile II 1919-1956
1599-6-2: 8 Chile III 1919-1956
1599-6-2: 9 Chile 1922-1942
1599-6-2: 10 Chile 1922-1945
1599-6-3: 2 China 1904-1913
1599-6-3: 3 China 1911-1914
1599-6-3: 4 China 1914
1599-6-3: 10 Costa Rica 1918-1960
1599-6-3: 11 Costa Rica 1918-1961
1599-6-3: 12 Costa Rica 1957-1961
1599-6-4: 1 Japan 1906
1599-6-4: 3 Mexico 1924-1928
1599-6-4: 4 Mexico 1926-1927
1599-6-4: 5 Panama 1855-1931
1599-6-4: 6 Panama 1910-1945
1599-6-4: 7 Panama 1918-1933
1599-6-4: 8 Panama Canal 1902-1917
1599-6-4: 9 Panama Canal 1913-1918
1599-6-5: 1 Panama City 1916-1940
1599-6-5: 2 Panama City 1918-1919
1599-6-5: 3 Panama City 1921
1599-6-5: 5 Panama Interior 1906-1915
1599-6-5: 6 Panama Missions 1 1916-1932
1599-6-5: 7 Panama Missions 2 1916-1932
1599-6-5: 8 Panama Missions 1917-1918
1599-6-5: 10 Peru c.1951
1599-7-1: 2 Peru - Bolivia 1922-1943
1599-7-1: 3 Peru - Bolivia 1933
1599-7-1: 4 Peru - Bolivia 1933-1934
1599-7-1: 5 Philippines 1904
1599-7-1: 6 Philippines 1904-1906
1599-7-1: 7 Philippines 1904-1911
1599-7-1: 8 Philippines 1904-1915
1599-7-1: 9 Philippines 1905-1914
1599-7-1: 10 Philippines 1910
Sub-series: General
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
Sub-series: Oversize
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1644-5-1: 4 "Reception by the President and Mrs. Coolidge to the Bishops of the MEC. The White House" 2 copies 1926
1644-5-1: 5 Council of Bishops, Methodist Church, Pasadena, CA 1956
1644-5-2: 1 Board of Bishops, MEC, Atlantic City, NJ, November 1935
Sub-series: Personal and Family
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-6-1: 3 Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary 1945
Sub-series: Scrapbook
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-7-2: 2 Travel 1915-1919
1599-7-2: 3 Travel 1918-1922
1599-7-2: 4 Travel - Mrs. Miller 1916
1599-7-2: 5 Travel 1923
1599-7-3: 1 Mrs. Miller 1928-1929
1599-7-3: 2 Mrs. Miller 1930-1934
1599-7-3: 3 Mrs. Miller 1931-1932

Series: Printed Matter
Sub-series: Evelyn Miller
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-7-4: 13 "La Huerfana y Su Buena Estrella" 1922
1599-7-4: 14 "La Joven" 1923
1599-7-4: 15 "Who Matter Most" 1954
Sub-series: George Miller
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-7-3: 8 "Ten Lessons in Personal Work" 1895
1599-7-3: 9 "A Revised History of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, San Jose, California, 1849-1899" 1899
1599-7-3: 10 "Problems of the Town Church" 1902
1599-7-3: 11 "Ruins and Romance of Guadalupe" 1906
1599-7-3: 12 "Interesting Manila" 1906
1599-7-3: 13 "How Pedro Found the King" 1907
1599-7-3: 14 "Paulino: A Tale of the Philippines" 1910
1599-7-3: 15 "Resurrexit" 1910
1599-7-3: 16 "Marian Miller: In Memoriam" 1911
1599-7-3: 17 "His Visible Garments" 1912
1599-7-3: 18 "Prowling About Panama" 1919
1599-7-4: 1 "Missionary Morale" 1920
1599-7-4: 2 "Curso Elemental para Senoritas Cristianas" 1923
1599-7-4: 3 "Mexico and the Mexicans" 1928
1599-7-4: 4 "They Say That Hunger and Thirst" 1929
1599-7-4: 5 "Restlessness and Reality" 1929
1599-7-4: 6 "Twenty Years After" 1936
1599-7-4: 7 "Growing Up" 1959
Sub-series: Margaret Miller
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-7-4: 9 "Women Under the Southern Cross" 1935
1599-7-4: 10 "How to Use" (work book for "Women Under the Southern Cross") 1936
Sub-series: Miscellaneous
Call Number Folder Title Date(s)
1599-7-5: 5 "El Hogar Higienico" 1922
1599-7-5: 6 "Vida De Plenitud" 1923
1599-7-5: 7 "El Hogar Social" 1923
1599-7-5: 8 "Resena Historica de la Iglesia Metodista de Costa Rica" 1967
1599-7-5: 9 Programs 1917-1959