Juanita and Henry S. Miller Jr. papers A Guide to the Collection


Overview
	Creator:	Miller, Juanita, 1912-2005.
	Title:	Juanita and Henry S. Miller Jr. papers.
	Inclusive Dates:	1932-1999
	Abstract:	This collection contains the papers of Juanita Miller and her husband, Henry S. Miller, Jr. The Millers were active in arts, civic, and social activities in Dallas. Mr. Miller was a Dallas real estate and insurance businessman. The company he oversaw, Henry S. Miller Companies, founded by his father in 1914, grew from a small one-man office into one of the largest real estate services corporations in the United States and the largest in Texas. Most of these papers in this collection do not relate to his business activities. Rather, they mostly concern his and his wife's civic pursuits and interests in Dallas, specifically on arts-related issues, such as the Dallas Opera and Dallas Symphony. The collection also includes civic, political and business correspondence, and personal letters and other documents from both of the Millers' service during World War II. Many of the newspaper articles concern the social and civic activities of Juanita Miller from the 1950s to the 1990s. The first several series of the collection are arranged by topic; the final series, comprised of newspaper articles, is arranged chronologically by year.
	Accession No:	A2001.2259
	Extent:	9 boxes (8.5 linear feet)
	Language:	Material is in English
	Repository	DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Biographical Note

Henry S. Miller Jr. has a prominent place among business and community leaders in Dallas, helping carry on the real estate company of his father, Henry S. Miller Sr., a company that is nearly a century old. The Henry S. Miller Company was founded in 1914, and has grown since that time from a small, local real estate firm into the largest establishment in the state of Texas specializing in real estate brokerage services.

Henry S. Miller Jr. attended Southern Methodist University, a 1934 business graduate with a B.S. degree. He joined his father’s company in 1938 after working in the insurance business; he later became owner of an insurance firm and brought it into the Miller real estate company. Miller served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1942 until 1945, seeing action in both North Africa and Italy, and rising to the rank of Major by the time his service was finished.

His wife, Helen Juanita Lewis, was born in 1912 in Kiowa, Oklahoma. She attended the University of Oklahoma, and taught at both the high school and junior college level. She first met Miller while working at a center in Arkansas for returning World War II servicemen. Lewis and Miller were married in 1945 until her death in November 2005. The Millers had four children: Vance, Patsy, Henry III, and Jacqueline.

Henry and Juanita Miller were patrons of the arts in Dallas. Juanita Miller helped found the Dallas opera; she and her husband also provided the new organization with a $200,000 loan to ensure financial support during its early years. In addition, she founded the Texas Women’s Association for Symphony Orchestras, currently the Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras. She was also involved in the Dallas Ballet, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, the Dallas Theatre Center, and the Dallas Museum of Art. Mrs. Miller’s arts activities were not limited to Dallas; she also supported cultural and artistic endeavors in Fort Worth and Richardson.

The original partnership between Henry Miller, Jr. and his father was incorporated in 1960, whereupon Miller Jr. became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. As such, he built upon the work his father started by expanding company operations into the areas of property management, office and retail properties, and specialized real estate services. He also expanded the corporation’s insurance business in 1968 by establishing a partnership with insurance businessman James B. Strange. By this period, the Miller family oversaw several firms under the purview of the Henry S. Miller Company: Henry S. Miller Co., Insurance; Henry S. Miller Co., Realtors; and Henry S. Miller Management Corp.

Vance C. Miller became President in 1970, and the company’s holdings continued to expand through the next two decades. The company merged in 1984 with another firm, thus forming the third largest real estate corporation in the United States; this lasted until 1991, when the Miller family reacquired Henry S. Miller Co., Realtors with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin. Today, Miller Jr. serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Henry S. Miller Companies, and Henry S. Miller Interests, Inc. He is also Managing Partner of Highland Park Village and Preston Royal Shopping Center, both in Dallas.

As these papers attest, Miller Jr. has been highly involved in civic affairs within the city of Dallas, as well as within the SMU community. He served as president of the National Alumni Association for SMU, having been elected to that position in 1968; prior to that, he worked as the NAA’s vice president for administration and budget. He has also served as the president of both the Dallas Rotary Club and the Southern Methodist University School of Business Alumni Association. In addition, Miller is a member of the board of governors for the American Society of Real Estate Councilors, the Dallas Citizens Council, the Dallas Metropolitan YMCA, the Better Business Bureau, and the SMU Board of Development.

He has also received recognition for his work in furthering the arts in Dallas, especially the Dallas Opera. Honors bestowed upon him include the 1982 Dallas Historical Society Award for Contribution to the Arts, induction into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1988, a 1978 Distinguished Alumnus Award from SMU, and the Outstanding Business Leader Award from the Northwood Institute in 1982.

Juanita Miller received recognition for her arts-related work, including a 1986 James (Jas.) K. Wilson Award (see Box 4, Folder 19), a Woman of the Year Award from Les Femmes du Monde in 1999, and the Dallas Historical Society Award for Excellence in the Arts. Both Mrs. Miller and her husband were also awarded honorary doctorates from Northwood University. She also served as president of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, vice president of the Dallas Ballet, and board member for the Dallas Theater Center and the Dallas Opera.

Sources:

http://www.henrysmiller.com/history/

"Juanita Miller: Championed arts, helped husband build real estate powerhouse." Dallas Morning News. November 22, 2005.

"Miller, Juanita Lewis 93, died November 21, 2005." Dallas Morning News. November 23, 2005.

"Dr. Juanita Miller," Northwood University website.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The collection covers the various arts and civic activities that Henry and Juanita Miller were involved in from the 1950s through the 1990s. Although Henry Miller was best known as a prominent Dallas businessman, especially in the Dallas real estate market, the collection generally is not concerned with his business affairs (except for Series 5). Some personal documents, including letters and other records from both Millers’ service during World War II are also included (in Series 8).

The collection is arranged into nine series. The first several are divided topically, and concern Dallas civic and arts affairs of the Millers: establishment of the Dallas Opera and the Dallas Symphony, for example. The last series (Series 9) contains newspaper articles from the 1940s until 1999. These are arranged by year. While the contents of each of these folders are not specifically noted, they mostly highlight various social events which the Millers (and often Juanita Miller) took part in, or any instances in which the Millers were mentioned in the press.

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Arrangement of the Collection
	The collection is organized into 9 series:

		Series 1: Dallas Civic Activities
		Series 2: Opera Materials
		Series 3: Dallas Symphony
		Series 4: Miscellaneous Dallas Arts Issues
		Series 5: Business and Legal Materials
		Series 6: Honors and Awards
		Series 7: Correspondence
		Series 8: Henry S. and Juanita Miller World War II Materials
		Series 9: Newspaper Articles

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Restrictions

Access to Collection:

Collection is open for research use.

Publication Rights:

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Director of the DeGolyer Library.

Copyright Statement:

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

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Access Terms
	This collection is indexed under the following terms in the Southern Methodist University Libraries' online catalog. Researchers desiring related materials may search the catalog using these terms.

		Miller, Henry S., 1914-
		Miller, Juanita, 1912-2005.
		Miller, Jack, 1920-1942.
		Dallas Opera.
		Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
		Art patronage -- Texas -- Dallas.
		Real estate agents -- Texas -- Dallas.
		World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American.
		Dallas (Tex.) -- History.

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Related Material

This is one of the collections in the Archives of Women of the Southwest.

For additional material pertaining to the Miller family, see the Jack Miller papers (A2004.0001).

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Series 1: Dallas Civic Activities
	This series includes material ranging from about 1958 until the late 1980s.
Box	Folder
1	1	YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas 97th Annual Meeting
	2	1987 Mayor’s International Ball Weekend Activities
	3	1987 Mayor’s International Ball, Continued
	4	Mayor’s International Ball 1987
	5	Mayor’s International Ball 1987
	6	Preparation Materials for 1987 Mayor’s International Ball
	7	Preparation Materials, Continued
	8	Garden Club/Center
	9	SMU Files, 1950s-1984
	10	International Commission Society
	11	Rotary Convention, 1958 (Information Booth Committee, Mrs. Henry S. Miller Jr., Chairman)
	12	Our Party for Neiman Marcus French Fortnight Gala, October 1971
	13	Tex. Cultural Trust
	14	TACA (organization concerned with the support of the performing arts in Dallas)
	15	Fiesta Al Tiro—Opera Benefit, 1964
	16	Juanita Miller Christian Science Class
	17	Miscellaneous Organizations
	18	Dallas Garden Center
	19	SMU Files, 1984-2000
	20	Dallas Chamber of Commerce: Business & Art Awards Luncheon
	21	Dallas Symphony Orchestra—Press and Publicity
			NOTE: Also see Series 3: Symphony Materials, in Box 3, Folders 1-16.
	22	Northwood Institute
	23	Thanksgiving Square Heritage Society
	24	Various Arts & Charities
	25	Juanita Miller: 1984 Republican Convention
	26	Plaza Theatre 1983
Box	Folder
2	1	Plaza Theatre, Continued
	2	Juanita Miller, Miscellaneous
	3	Other Henry S. Miller Jr. Civic Activities (copy of "Philanthropy" Magazine, cassette tape)
	4	Henry and Juanita Miller Photographs, Event Programs, and Correspondence
	5	Materials on Miller Civic Activities (correspondence, newspaper articles, event programs, etc)
	6	Videotape, "The Life Story of Henry S. Miller, Jr."

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Series 2: Opera Materials
	This series includes materials on fund drives, auditions, and correspondence regarding the establishment and later activities of the Dallas Opera.
Box	Folder
2	7	Metropolitan Opera Auditions, 1955-63
	8	Dallas Opera
	9	Dallas Opera
	10	Opera
	11	Dallas Civic Opera Fund Drives, 1969-1973
	12	Opera Search, 1990-93
	13	Dallas Civic Opera Printed Material, 1957-1973
	14	Dallas Civic Opera 1950s & 1960s, Newspaper Articles
	15	Dallas Civic Opera Correspondence, 1950s-60s
	16	Dallas Civic Opera, 1970-71
	17	Dallas Civic Opera Correspondence, 1960s
	18	Dallas Civic Opera Correspondence, 1960s, Continued
	19	Opera Historical Material
	20	Opera

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Series 3: Symphony Materials
	This series includes materials on the creation of the Dallas Symphony and construction of the Meyerson Symphony Center.
Box	Folder
3	1	Symphony
	2	Symphony
	3	Symphony
	4	Symphony, Continued
	5	Dallas Symphony—Cornerstone Campaign Brochures
	6	Dallas Symphony
	7	Dallas Symphony
	8	Dallas Symphony
	9	Dallas Symphony
	10	Symphony Hall Opening—Sept. 1989
	11	Dallas Symphony Hall Opening—Sept. 1989
	12	Dallas Symphony
	13	Symphony
	14	Juanita Miller—Association of Women’s Committees for Symphony Orchestras, 1956-1971
	15	Juanita Miller—Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, 1955-1979
	16	Juanita Miller—Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras, Texas Women’s Association for Symphony Orchestras, 1967-1998
			NOTE: Also see "Dallas Symphony Orchestra—Press and Publicity" in Series 1: Dallas Civic Activities—Box 1, Folder 22

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Series 4: Miscellaneous Dallas Arts Issues
	This series covers various Dallas arts issues including files specifically on the Dallas Ballet and Dallas Theatre Center.
Box	Folder
3	17	Arts—General, Arts District
	18	Texas Commission on the Arts
	19	Misc. Civic-Charity Arts
	20	Misc. Civic-Charity Arts
	21	New Playhouse
	22	Creative Arts Guild
Box	Folder
4	1	Lyric Theatre
	2	City-State-US Government & Arts
	3	Citizens Council—Arts
	4	Dallas Ballet, FW-Dallas Ballet
	5	Ballet
	6	Dallas Theatre Center
	7	Margo Jones Theater
	8	Dallas Theater Center

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Series 5: Real Estate Materials
	The papers in this series cover some of the business-related activities of Henry S. Miller, roughly from the 1950s through the 1970s. Included are copies of letters regarding the purchase and/or transfer of stock from the Henry S. Miller Company, as well as consent forms and shareholder agreements. Several legal records are also included that document land purchases among Miller Jr. and Trammell Crow. This series also contains news articles on various real estate activities around Dallas, as well as copies of Miller Mark and Trend—publications of the Henry S. Miller Company, Realtors on company news.
Box	Folder
4	9	Henry S. Miller Company Stock Transfer Agreements
	10	Legal Materials
	11	Business News Articles
	12	Miller Mark and Trend Articles
	13	Texas Real Estate Association
	14	Copies of Articles—Henry S. Miller Company & Highland Park Village
	15	Dallas R.E. Board, 1952-53 Articles
	16	Dallas Real Estate Board, 1952-53 Articles, Continued
	17	Pres. Dallas R.E. Board, 1952-53
			NOTE: Also see "Business Correspondence," in Series 7: Correspondence—Box 7, Folder 2

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Series 6: Honors and Awards

Box	Folder
4	18	Jas. K. Wilson Award—HSM, Jr.
	19	Juanita Miller—Jas. K. Wilson Award, 1986
	20	Family Awards
	21	YWCA Family of the Year, March 1990
	22	HSM, Jr. Texas Business Hall of Fame
		Also included is a binder, Entrepreneur of the Year; HSM, Jr.—SMU 1987

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Series 7: Correspondence
	Most of the correspondence in this series is personal and/or related to Henry S. Miller civic and political activities, mostly dating from the 1950s through the 1980s. The first folder contains political correspondence, and holds letters and thank-you cards from various national and state political figures, including Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan, Texas Governors Dolph Briscoe and Bill Clements, and other leaders such as Senators Bob Dole and Lloyd Bentsen, and Dallas Mayors Earle Cabell and Starke Taylor.
	The business correspondence included in this series is comprised mostly of thank-you letters and greetings from Dallas business figures, including Trammell Crow and Roger Staubach (also of Dallas Cowboys fame). Most of the international correspondence is also made up of thank-you letters from personal friends of the Millers; copies of letters from the Millers to their friends are also included.
Box	Folder
5	1	Political Correspondence
	2	Business Correspondence
	3	Henry S. Miller, III Correspondence
	4	Correspondence from England, South Africa, and Canada
	5	Correspondence from Austria, Italy, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland
	6	Correspondence from Belgium
	7	Correspondence from France
	8	Correspondence from the Middle East and the Far East
	9	Correspondence from Spain
	10	Correspondence from Mexico
	11	Correspondence, RE: High Profile Article, DMN August 1982
	12	Correspondence, RE: Dallas Times Herald Article: October 21, 1984 in "Unique" Section
	13	Miscellaneous Correspondence

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Series 8: Henry S. and Juanita Miller World War II Materials
	This series contains the oldest papers of the collection, and do not pertain to any of the later business or civic activities of Henry and Juanita Miller. Both of the Millers joined the armed services during World War II. Included are army correspondence and official documents, as well as materials from Miller’s service in the National Guard during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Juanita served in the army’s Special Services Branch, and records and materials from her service in Arkansas are here also. Materials relating to Jack Miller (brother of Henry S. Miller Jr.), who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was killed in 1942 in the Pacific Theatre, are also included, as are copies of both Henry and Jack Miller’s correspondence during the war years.
Box	Folder
5	14	Henry S. Miller, Jr. Military Correspondence, other Documents, 1940-1942
	15	Henry S. Miller, Jr. National Guard Documents (S. 0-386681 Capt. QMC 4/47-6/51)
	16	Italy, August 1942-1944
	17	VA and Administrative
	18	WWII Army Service—Miscellaneous
	19	Army—Ft. Warren, April 1942
	20	Army—Camp Cooke, Ft. Dix
	21	North Africa, February 1943-September 1943
	22	Juanita, Army—Ft. Bliss
	23	Juanita—Camp Fannin, 1944
	24	Juanita L. Vance—Personal File, Army
	25	Local Talent—Hot Springs
	26	Army—Hot Springs, March 1944-October 1945
	27	Correspondence Concerning Death of Lt. Jack Miller & Launching of USS Jack Miller in his Honor
	28	Jack Miller WWII Correspondence (Copies), 1941-1942
	29	Henry S. Miller, Jr. WWII Correspondence (Copies), 1943-1944
Box	Folder
6	1	Henry S. Miller, Jr. WWII Correspondence (Original V-Mail Letters), 1943-1944

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Series 9: Newspaper Articles
	Most of the newspaper clippings are from Dallas newspapers from the 1940s through the late 1990s, and report the civic activities of the Millers, but are more related to Juanita Miller. Because the collection ends in 1999, there are no clippings that mention her death in 2005.
Box	Folder
6	2	Pre-1940s
	3	1940s
	4	1950s
	5	1950s
	6	1960
	7	1961
	8	1962
	9	1963
	10	1964
	11	1965
	12	1966
	13	1967
	14	1968
	15	1969
	16	1970
	17	1971
	18	1972
	19	1973
	20	1974
Box	Folder
7	1	1975
	2	1976
	3	1977
	4	1978
	5	1979
	6	1980
	7	1981
	8	1982
	9	1983
	10	1984
	11	1985
	12	1986
	13	1987
Box	Folder
8	1	1988
	2	1989
	3	1990s
	4	1990s, Continued
	5	1991
	6	1991, Continued
	7	1991, Continued
	8	1992
	9	1992, Continued
	10	1993
	11	1994
	12	1995
	13	1995, Continued
	14	1996
Box	Folder
9	1	1996, Continued
	2	1997
	3	1998
	4	1999

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