Dr. Jarvis E. Miller '50

Dr. Jarvis E. Miller, president emeritus of Texas A&M University, passed away peacefully in his home on Saturday, June 21st at the age of ninety-six.

A fifth generation Texan descended from settlers of the Republic, Jarvis Ernest Miller was born May 30, 1929, in Orange Grove, near the Texas coast. Growing up on a working ranch, he learned how to diligently care for all manner of crops and livestock. From his parents he learned the virtues of duty, honesty, service, and faith. His father volunteered for the Navy in World War II, although he was well past the age when such sacrifice might have been expected. During the war, Jarvis and the family lived on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

After the war he returned home and later enrolled at Texas A&M College. He soon became a campus leader, serving as a cadet major on the Air Force Battalion Staff. He was a member of the Ross Volunteers and, together with a classmate, designed the distinctive sash still worn by RVs today. His leadership extended beyond the Corps, as Town Hall manager, head of the YMCA Cabinet, and president of the YMCA. In his senior year he was named a Hillel Fellow. He graduated in 1950 with a degree in agricultural administration and honors as a Distinguished Student and Distinguished Military Graduate.

He received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He enrolled in Purdue University, where he earned a master’s and doctorate degree in agricultural economics. He then served a two-year tour in the Air Force as a management analysis officer at Amarillo Air Force Base.

Following his discharge, Dr. Miller returned to Texas A&M as an assistant and later associate professor of agricultural economics. In 1961 he volunteered to take a leading role in Texas A&M’s foreign agricultural assistance contracts under the aegis of the U.S. Agency for International Development. His first posting was to Buenos Aires. Fluent in Spanish from boyhood, he traveled the length and breadth of Argentina, establishing some of America’s first contacts with that nation’s fledgling agricultural industry. Those relationships became both broad and deep, resulting in improved methods of crop rotation, disease control, increased agricultural production for the Argentines, as well as lasting American influence in the country. After an analysis of the Argentine climate and soils, he promoted the raising of soybeans. More than a half century later, Argentina remains a world leader in soybean production and exports. After four years in South America, Dr. Miller moved to Santo Domingo, where he led USAID agricultural efforts in the Dominican Republic. There he reprised his earlier success, promoting best agricultural practices throughout the country. More profoundly, he persuaded the A&M administration to invest in educating the Dominican people. As he traversed the island nation, Dr. Miller selected promising youth who might matriculate to Texas A&M. In two years, he recruited a cohort that became known as “the One Hundred Aggies,” young Dominicans who earned degrees at College Station and took their skills home to benefit their country. Many became leaders in the Dominican Republic, including two recipients of the Texas A&M Outstanding International Alumnus Award.

After six years abroad, Dr. Miller and his growing family returned to Bryan. He joined the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and became director within a few years. Director Miller fostered a commitment to excellence in agricultural research and, just as important, to sharing that information with scholars and producers around Texas and throughout the world. Dr. Miller was exceptionally proud of the work of the many exceptional people at TAES, who helped the agency become a research leader in the interactions of soil, water, and fertilizer in various climates. This work led to the introduction of cotton farming in West Texas—previously thought impossible—and the breeding and production of various types of sorghum for many types of soil and climate. The impact of TAES research in rice production grew worldwide in what became known as the “Green Revolution.” Developing nations employed TAES methods and technologies to achieve much greater agricultural yields which contributed significantly to the reduction of hunger around the world.

In 1977 Texas A&M University named Dr. Miller its eighteenth president. He championed partnerships with the private sector, a commitment that resulted in a new Center for Education and Research in Free Enterprise and a Medical Education Program. His international experience led him to initiate research programs in the Middle East, Africa, and Central America. When he left office, Texas A&M boasted of the nation’s largest colleges of agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine, and administered the largest funded research program in the South and Southwest.

President Miller made two other marks of distinction, one on campus and the other statewide. He became a leader in fostering better management in higher education, with an emphasis on accountability. Recognized as an innovator in academic leadership, he was one of Texas’s most effective advocates for higher education. Dr. Miller was also revered as the “student’s president” for his ubiquitous presence on campus. He connected personally with students, remembering their names and interests’ years after a single conversation. Over four decades later, Aggies who were in school during his tenure light up at the mention of his name, fondly recalling one-on-one interactions with their president. He kept up with former students and fostered their success in every way possible.

In 1980 Dr. Miller became a special assistant to Governor William Clements with supervision of budgets and legislation pertaining to all thirty-three colleges and universities in Texas. He continued his emphasis on effective management and developed a long-range plan for legislative funding of higher education. In 1982 he became Director of the Office of Budget and Planning for the state of Texas overseeing the Governor’s twenty-year strategic plan “Texas 2000.”

In 1983 Dr. Miller entered the private sector with interests in banking, real estate development, and retirement housing. His firm helped pioneer assisted living in Houston retirement communities.

During his career, he consulted with agricultural producers in Central and South America, served on commissions for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. It was an honor for him to be chosen to travel with and advise Federal- and state-sponsored groups examining agricultural practices in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

Dr. Miller remained deeply involved with the Aggie community long after his tenure on campus. He was a lay leader in the A&M Methodist Church almost continuously from his cadetship in the 1940s, teaching Sunday school and leading numerous church projects. Active in Rotary International for almost fifty years, he was a member of the Downtown Austin Rotary, president of the Bryan Rotary, a Paul Harris Fellowship Member, and a charter member and president of the Aggieland Rotary Club.

He was a long-time member of the Association of Former Students’ Endowed Century Club, a Class Agent for the Class of 1950, and a vice president of the Sul Ross Group. He was honored as an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and inducted into the Department of Agricultural Economics’ Tyrus R. Timm Honor Registry. The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets named him to its Hall of Honor.

Dr. Miller’s presidency of Texas A&M has been compared favorably with that of President Earl Rudder’s with regard to the expansion of the university’s research and impact across the world. For these accomplishments and all his contributions to Texas A&M, The Association of Former Students recognized him as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2016.

Jarvis Miller was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. His entire family attest to his constant, loving presence in their lives. Uncommon is the man who could forge such a remarkable professional career while nurturing a close and affirming role in the lives of each of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandson. He often said his greatest accomplishment was his family.

His cherished wife, Alma, preceded him in death. He died on the seventy-third anniversary of their marriage. Four daughters survive him: Susan Hult of Mount Pleasant, Iowa (Dennis); Kathleen Gibson of Dallas, Texas (Robert); Margaret Moten of Austin, Texas (Mat); and Carolyn McCully of Bryan, Texas (Brett). Seven loving grandchildren survive him—Catherine Gibson Solid (Daniel), Sarah Gibson, Kristofer Hult (Mariah), Laura Hult, Stephanie Moten, Marshall Moten (Haley) and Michael Winthrop (Kaitlin) —and one great grandson, Cole Moten.

For ninety-six years Jarvis Ernest Miller served the world, his country, the state of Texas, and the Aggie community. He modeled charity, dignity, and integrity in his relations with all. He walked humbly with his God.

A visitation will be held at Callaway Jones Funeral Home on July 18, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 in the evening. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on July 19, 2025, at A&M United Methodist Church, with a reception to follow.

Dr. Jarvis E. Miller, president emeritus of Texas A&M, lies in eternal rest beside his beloved Alma in the Aggie Field of Honor.

For those who wish to do so, memorial contributions may be made to A&M United Methodist Church, 417 University Drive, College Station, Texas 77840; Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840; or The Association of Former Students, 505 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840.