Person:Ronald Miller (13)

Ronald Miller was educated at North Queensferry, Fife, then at Stromness Academy. He went on to study at the University of Edinburgh where he obtained a First Class Honours in Geography in 1931. In 1933 he obtained his PhD, after gaining a Carnegie Research Fellowship at the Marine Laboratory of the Scottish Home Department, Aberdeen. He then taught geography as an assistant lecturer under Professor H J Fleure at Manchester University.

In 1936, he took advantage of the Nigerian Government's education scheme and worked as an Education Officer for 10 years. For the five years during the war Ronald Miller served with the Nigerian Regiment, he was called up from the Supplementary Reserve and was raised to a staff captain, "A" Branch. In 1947 he returned to Scotland and lectured at Edinburgh University. Then in 1953 he joined the Geography Department at Glasgow University where he remained until 1976. Professor Miller was also a Guest Lecturer at the following Universities: the University of Montpellier, 1957: the University of Oslo and Handelshøyskole Bergen, 1966: Simon Fraser University, 1967. After retiring Professor Miller moved to Orkney, and in 1978 he became a member of the Orkney Island council. His publications include (with McNair) Livingston's Travels;The Travels of Mungo Park; (with Tivy) ed.The Glasgow Region, (1958); (with Watson) Ogilvie Essays, (1959);Africa, (1967);Orkney, (1976). Ronald Miller died on the 10 August 1990 . Source: Who's Who, (1981, London), The College courant, 11, (1953, Glasgow)

Ronald Miller (1910-1990) was Professor of Geography at the University, 1953 to 1976. He was Dean of Science from 1964 to 1967.

Born in Orkney, Miller was in the first class to study for an Honours degree in Geography in Scotland, graduating MA from the University of Edinburgh in 1931. After completing his doctorate at the Torrie Marine Laboratory he worked in Africa as an education officer and then served in the Royal West African Frontier Force during the Second World War. He returned to the University of Edinburgh as a lecturer before his appointment to the Glasgow Chair in 1953.

Miller inherited a small department, which grew to become one of the largest Geography schools in the country under his energetic direction. He was influential in establishing Archaeology and Topographic Science as degree subjects and the University acquired an international reputation for post-graduate training in Cartography and Photogrammetry. His research work ranged from Mathematical to Historical Geography, with a particular emphasis on Africa.