Distinguished Alumni Award


Francis C. Miller 41BA

1979 Service Award

Francis C. Miller was born and received his early education in Moravia. He attended Albia Junior College from 1936 to '38 and taught in the Appanoose County Schools for one year before entering the U of I in 1939.

He worked at the Employee People's National Bank and at a dairy farm in Moravia and taught government and economics at the Moravia High School before joining the Maytag Dairy Farms in 1945.

In 1948, Miller was named to the board of directors of the dairy farms and as financial secretary to the Maytag Family. In 1954 he was named to the board of the Fred Maytag Family Foundation.

Miller became a Maytag Company Foundation Board member in 1964 and has been vice president and trustee since 1973.

He has been active in the Boy Scouts of America, Kiwanis Club and Newton Community Chest, for which he served as president from 1971-73.

In 1978 Miller was named to the board of Progress, Inc., a new Jasper County vocational rehabilitation workshop for handicapped citizens, and this year he was selected as secretary of that organization.

He has served as a deacon, elder and a member of the board of trustees of the First Christian Church of Newton, and he was chairman of the board for several years.

Miller represented the Fred Maytag Family Foundation Board at the ground breaking ceremony for the Fred Maytag II Auditorium at the U of I's Museum of Art in 1966.


About Distinguished Alumni Awards

Since 1963, the University of Iowa has annually recognized accomplished alumni and friends with Distinguished Alumni Awards. Awards are presented in seven categories: Achievement, Service, Hickerson Recognition, Faculty, Staff, Recent Graduate, and Friend of the University.


Related Content

Science writer Cornelia Mutel discusses Iowa?s agricultural challenges and why we should be hopeful.

The Tippie College of Business graduate is vice president of consumer creation strategy at the sportswear company's headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

With the start of a new year upon us, it's time to look back at your favorite University of Iowa stories from 2018. Here are Iowa Magazine's top 10 most-read articles of the year: The Nomadic Life (spring 2018) Hawkeye football favorite Paki O'Meara (10BA) finds ultimate freedom in backpacking around the world, taking photos that inspire a sense of wonder. PHOTO COURTESY PAKI O'MEARA Kinnick at 100 (summer 2018) This past summer marked two historically significant dates for Hawkeye fans: the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nile Kinnick (40BA), and the 75th anniversary of his tragic death. In memory of Iowa's favorite son, scholar, and Ironman, we look back on his life and legacy. Ahead of the Game (spring 2018) The Iowa football team becomes the first in the nation to equip the majority of its players with a state-of-the-art new helmet designed to improve player safety. PHOTO: MARK STASTNY Hollywood U (fall 2018) Alumni success in TV and film shines the spotlight on Iowa's? flourishing screenwriting program. ILLUSTRATION: FABIEN GILBERT / ARTISTIQUE INTERNATIONAL Mountain Roots (spring 2018) Nearly 80 years ago, an unlikely UI mountain-climbing club emerged from the cornfields of Iowa to become one of the most active in the world. Now the next generation of outdoorsmen continue in their Hawkeye family's footsteps. PHOTO COURTESY EBERT FAMILY The Secrets of Sleep (fall 2018) UI doctors and researchers work to shine light on the third of our lives we spend in the dark. Illustration: John Emigh Fry's Dream Team (fall 2018) FRYFest honors Hayden Fry's legendary 1983 coaching tree. PHOTO: UI ATHLETICS Going the Distance (spring 2018) UI-trained dentist Deb Carneol (92DDS) completes seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. PHOTO: MARK CONLON/WORLDMARATHONCHALLENGE.COM At 105, Our Oldest Hawkeye? (spring 2018) Catherine Shaw Shors (35BSC), who earned her business degree from Iowa more than eight decades ago, celebrated a milestone birthday in May. 1936 HAWKEYE YEARBOOK A Heroic Homecoming (spring 2018) Avengers: Infinity War director Joe Russo (92BA) receives a superhero's welcome at his alma mater. PHOTOS: Justin Torner

The mission of Senior College is to provide high-quality educational opportunities for seniors.

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Statement unless you have disabled them in your browser.