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The Miller School |
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...another
school in Historic-Memphis |
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In
December of 2014, the Historic-Memphis webmaster was
checking Ebay for historical items about Memphis and found a little brochure on a Memphis school he had never heard of
... "The Miller School". He was the only bidder on the
item and so this little booklet has become the foundation for a new
page on the Historic-Memphis website. The complete
brochure "Miller School Catalog 1912-1913" is posted below.
The
Miller School was located on Madison Avenue from 1910 to 1915
(Other sources say 1907-15). It was an all boy's school started
by Professor Phipps Miller who had begun his career at the
Memphis University School, where he taught for 10 years.
His new school was founded in 1910 in the belief that the rapid growth of Memphis
called for another preparatory school for boys. The
success of the school during its first four years seems to
have justified this belief. |
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Miller School 1912-13
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UPDATE:
Patricia J. Treadwell, the great-niece of Phipps Miller, contacted
us January 17, 2015, with updated information: "... Phipps
became ill and he and Hannabelle went to live with my grandparents
(his sister, Sallie Miller McClure and brother-in-law) in Hawkins County, Tennessee near Rogersville. He died
October 13, 1923. Hannabelle stayed in Rogersville and took
care of my grandmother until she died October 5, 1925. She
then went back to Marion, VA (where she was born) since it was
unseemly for a Widow and a widower to live together. Both
Phipps and Hannabelle are buried at Round Hill Cemetery in Marion,
Virginia." |
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The Historic-Memphis website is grateful to Patricia
for sending several important photos and clippings
which filled in the missing pieces of our page.
We have revised this page on the Miller School, adding
her updates and important memorabilia.
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The purpose of the Miller School was to prepare boys and young men for
the leading colleges and universities and to prepare them for
the responsibilities of life. Students were taught
" to grow in knowledge, build character and to strive for a
high standard of Christian citizenship".
The yearly fee for the school, in 1912-13 was $120 ($80 on entrance and $40 on Feb 1).
The curriculum included Mathematics, English, History,
Geography and spelling. Latin was added in the 4th
year, French in the 5th year, Greek and German in
the 6th year, and Science in the 8th year. There
were four teachers at the school: Professor Miller, Mr Ransom, Mr. Jordan,
and Mr. Meek, with 75-100 students during the 1912-13 school
year. |
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Temporary Miller School |
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Prof Miller |
Miller School
1910s |
Class group 1912 |
Class
group 1912 |
Class
Group 1912 |
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Athletics
were promoted at Miller School in every way. All pupils were encouraged to take
part in some form of sport. The belief was that active work on
the playground resulted in more efficient work in the class room.
There was a football team. Baseball team, and Basketball team.
The teams practiced in a large athletic field behind the school. |
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Athletic
Field |
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| Practice |
Football
Team |
Baseball
Team |
Basketball
Team |
Practice |
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1910
Football Team |
Baseball
Team |
1914 Ad |
School 1910 |
Building -
today |
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Phipps Miller was born in Hawkins County, Tennessee June 8,
1866. In 1874 his family moved to Marion, Virginia,
where he received his primary education, including graduation
from the University of Virginia in 1893. Afterwards he
taught at the University for a number of years. In
1899, he and his wife Hannabelle moved to Memphis, where he had
accepted the mathematics chairmanship at the Memphis University
School. He was a well-regarded member of the University
School faculty for 10 years. During the summer of 1901,
while working in Washington D.C., Phipps contacted typhoid fever
which left him permanently weakened.
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Prof. Miller |
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1900
Directory |
University Roster |
University Teachers |
University
School 1907 |
University Students 1909 |
Miller School |
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However,
due to many requests from Memphis business men who backed him
financially and morally, Professor Miller
opened the new Miller School, a training school for boys. The
school prospered and soon outgrew its temporary quarters. But
almost
immediately upon moving to their new building, Miller's health
grew worse and he soon closed the school and retired to his
sister's and brother-in-law's home in Rogersville. He died
there in 1923 and was buried next to his infant daughter
Isabelle in Marion, Virginia. He had been a highly
respected teacher. |
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Tribute 1923 |
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Phipps,Hannabelle,Isabelle |
Isabelle
grave |
Phipps 1912 |
Obit -1 |
Obit - 2 |
Obit - 3 |
Hannabelle
Obit |
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Phipps Miller is listed in the 1900 Memphis Directory as a
Teacher at University School. The listing continues for the next 10 years. In 1900
his Memphis address is
395 Poplar. The listing continues in 1901... living at 296
Manassas. In 1904 he's listed at 418 Poplar. In 1905 -
756 Poplar. In 1906- 669 Poplar. In 1907 to 1909 -
819 Washington.
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The
first listing for the MILLER SCHOOL is 1910 at 1920 Madison.
In 1911 the school moved next door to it's new building at 1880
Madison and is listed here from 1911-1915. The school
closed at the end of the 1915 year. There is no
directory listing for the school in 1916, but Phipps Miller is listed as a
"teacher" boarding at 1890 Madison. The following year,
1917, he is listed as Principal at Lenox Grammar School.
There's no listing in 1918, but we now know that due to poor
health, Miller and his wife
had retired to his brother-in-law's Rogersville farm by 1920.
(Directory listings can vary
from reality by a year). |
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1910
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Tribute
2 |
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There were
four teachers at the Miller School - Professor Miller, Mr Ransom, Mr. Jordan,
and Mr Meek, along with 75-100 students during the 1912-13 school year.
Professor Miller, a graduate of the University of Virginia,
taught Mathematics and Science. Mr Ransom, graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, taught Latin
and German. Mr. Jordan, graduate of Lebanon University in
Ohio, taught Greek and History,
In addition Mr. Ransom was manager of the teams and Mr. Jordan was
the coach. |
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Mr. Ransom |
Mr. Jordan |
Mr. Meek |
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Mr. Jordan, alias S. C. Jordan ... |
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Mr. Jordan's
full name was Stanley Clarance Jordan or as he was always known "S.
C. Jordan". Those who attended Central and
Tech High Schools during the 20s through 50s will remember him.
He taught English at Central from 1924 to 1930 and then taught
Typing and Business at Tech from 1930 to his retirement in
1958-59. Mr. Jordan was a respected, well-liked gentleman
and was the home-room teacher of the Historic-Memphis
webmaster in 1948-49. "...Small world". |
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Miller-1912 |
Central 1924 |
Tech 1942 |
Tech 1959 |
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The Miller School
Catalogue 1912-1913 ... Collection Gene
Gill |
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33-Application |
34-
Back |
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Some verification references found during a "search"
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1910 reference |
1908 Book |
1911 Book |
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Credits |
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The
Historic-Memphis website does not intentionally post copyrighted
photos and material without permission or credit.
On
occasion a "non-credited" photo might possibly be posted because we
were unable to find a name to give credit. Because of the nature of
our non-commercial, non-profit, educational website, we strongly
believe that these photos would be considered "Fair Use. We have
certainly made no monetary gain, although those using this website
for historic or Genealogy research have certainly profited. If by
chance,
we have posted your copyrighted photo, please contact us, and we'll
remove it immediately, or we'll add your credit if that's your
choice. In the past, we have found that many photographers
volunteer to have their works included on these pages and we'll
also do that if you contact us with a photo that fits a particular
page. |
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The "Historic-Memphis" website would like to acknowledge and thank the
following for their contributions which helped make this website
possible:
Memphis
Public Library, Memphis University Library, Memphis Law Library,
Memphis Commercial Appeal, Memphis Press Scimitar, Shelby County
Register of Deeds, Memphis City Schools, Memphis Business Men's
Club, Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Memphis City Park Commission,
Memphis Film Commision, Carnival Memphis, Memphis Historical
Railroad Page, Memphis Heritage Inc, Beale Street Historic District,
Cobblestone Historic District, Memphis Historic Districts, Vance
Lauderdale Family Archives, Tennessee State Archives, Library of
Congress, Kemmons Wilson Family, Richard S. Brashier, Lee Askew,
George Whitworth, Woody Savage and many individuals whose assistance is
acknowledged on the pages of their contributions. Special
thanks to Memphis Realtor, Joe Spake, for giving us carte blanche
access to his outstanding collection of contemporary Memphis photos.
We do not have high definition copies of the photos on these
pages. If anyone wishes to secure high definition photos,
you'll have to contact the photographer or the collector.
(To avoid any possibility of contributing to SPAM, we do not
maintain a file of email addresses for anyone who contacts us). |
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