Keith Harvey Miller

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For other people named Keith Miller, see Keith Miller (disambiguation).

Keith Miller
Secretary of State of Alaska
In office
December 5, 1966 – January 29, 1969
GovernorWally Hickel
Preceded byHugh Wade
Succeeded byRobert Ward
Personal details
Born
Keith Harvey Miller

(1925-03-01)March 1, 1925
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
DiedMarch 2, 2019(2019-03-02) (aged 94)
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Idaho, Moscow
University of Washington, Seattle (BS)

Keith Harvey Miller (March 1, 1925 – March 2, 2019) was an American

governor of Alaska after Hickel’s resignation to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Under his tenure, Alaska came into sudden wealth after an oil lease sale on the North Slope created a revenue of $900 million.[1]

Early life

Keith Harvey Miller was born in

Seattle, Washington on March 1, 1925, one of four sons of Hopkins Keith Miller (1901–1981) and Sarah Margaret (née Harvey) Miller (1903–1960). He grew up in the rural outskirts of Seattle before the family moved to the vicinity of Bothell, Washington in 1939.[2] Miller attended and graduated from high school in Bothell.[1][3] He briefly studied at the University of Idaho before joining the United States Army Air Forces, serving during the last two years of World War II.[3]

Early career and move to Alaska

After leaving the military, Miller established a

collection agency there.[3] He sold the agency in 1957 after being hired by the Internal Revenue Service, who stationed him in Anchorage, Alaska.[3]

Early political career

Further information: 1966 Alaska gubernatorial election

Miller began his political career in 1962 with his election to the

Governor of Alaska.[7]

Governor of Alaska

Further information: 1970 Alaska gubernatorial election and List of governors of Alaska

Under Governor Miller, Alaska completed the sale of land leases in

Prudhoe Bay, which brought a windfall of $900 million.[8] The funds from the oil leases were seven times the state’s budget and seven years after he first proposed an investment fund for oil royalties, Governor Jay Hammond established the Alaska Permanent Fund.[9][10]

He lobbied extensively for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.[11] He pushed the Congress to approve the pipeline over the objections of Federal Judge George Hart and the Alaska Legislature for funds to build a road to the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.[11][12]

In 1970, seeking election to a full term, he saw his popularity diminish as his former running mate, Walter Hickel, delayed issuance of the permit to build the pipeline.

Howard Wallace Pollock.[13] He defeated Pollock, but faced William A. Egan, who was Alaska’s first governor, in the general election.[8][13] Egan won the race, 52.4-46.1.[8] Only after the 1973 oil crisis did Congress pass the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act that Miller sought.[14]

Later career

Further information: 1974 Alaska gubernatorial election

In 1972, Miller was elected to a four-year term in the Alaska Senate.[4] That term was cut short due to a challenge of the redistricting plan drawn up by the Alaska Supreme Court in 1972, centered on the apportionment of Senate districts in Anchorage. The court drew up a new plan in 1974. Rather than run for reelection in the new, Democratic-leaning district, Miller made one more campaign for governor in the Republican primary. He faced Hickel and Jay Hammond, who became the party’s nominee.[15] In 1977, Governor Hammond named Miller to a seat on the Alaska Transportation Commission to serve as its chair.[4]

Death

Miller died from pancreatic cancer while at a hospice in Anchorage a day after his 94th birthday on March 2, 2019.[16] His wife, Jean Cuffel Miller, preceded him in death.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Keith Miller, Alaska's third governor, dies at 94". Seattle Times. March 6, 2019.
  2. ISBN 1-878100-99-8
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-8323-0287-2
    .
  4. ^ a b c d e "Keith Miller obituary". Anchorage Daily News. March 6, 2019.
  5. ^ Alaska Historical Collections: Gov. Keith H. Miller. 1925–. Alaska State Library. Retrieved on February 1, 2010.
  6. ^ Alaska Governor Keith H. Miller Archived February 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. American Governor's Association. Retrieved on February 1, 2010.
  7. ^ Claus M. Naske and Herman E. Slotnick. Alaska: A History of the 49th State. University of Oklahoma Press, 1984. 292.
  8. ^ a b c d "Egan Regains Governor's Post in Alaska". New York Times. November 5, 1970.
  9. ^ "The PF and The D: A history of how we got here". Anchorage Press. October 11, 2017.
  10. ^ "Ranking Alaska's Governors". Anchorage Daily News. September 15, 2008.
  11. ^ a b "100 Alaskans Descend on Washington This Week to Lobby for Oil Pipeline Proposal". The New York Times. April 27, 1970.
  12. ^ "Alaska Governor Asks Road Funds". The New York Times. April 27, 1970.
  13. ^ a b "Alaska's Governor Wins Primary Race". The New York Times. August 27, 1970.
  14. ^ "Alaska Pipeline Flow Set to Start Tomorrow". The New York Times. June 19, 1977.
  15. ^ "Jay Hammond, 83; Former Alaska Gov. Championed Oil-Royalty Fund". Los Angeles Times. August 3, 2005.
  16. ^ "Keith Miller, Alaska's third governor, dies at 94". National Post. March 6, 2019.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Lieutenant Governor of Alaska

1966–1969 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Governor of Alaska

1969–1970 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by
Governor of Alaska
1970
 Succeeded by
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