Political science professor dies at 74

Founder of the nationally renowned University's Center for Political Studies and former University Prof. Warren Miller died Saturday at age 74.

Miller served for several years as the center's first director, after its founding in 1970. He also co-authored "The American Voter" in 1960 with other experts on voting trends in the United States.

Political science Prof. John Jackson said Miller's enthusiasm for all research dealing with political science was contagious.

"It was very exciting working with him," Jackson said. "He had incredible ideas and energy."

One of Miller's projects was a study conducted in 1980, which explored the effects of the media on election turnout. Miller questioned if televised predictions of states' preliminary results in an election changed voter turnout in those states. The

Miller

study's conclusion frustrated some, Jackson said.

"The conclusion was that it did" affect voter turnout - much to the consternation of the media, he said. The findings led to changes in the way preliminary results could be broadcast by the media.

Despite his expertise on the subject, Miller was a team player, Jackson said.

"He enjoyed having people around who would raise questions" he could discuss with them, he said.

Jackson said the founding of the center was a positive addition to the University.

"The Center for Political Studies also became an intellectual unit that brought a number of important and exciting people to the University," Jackson said. "They were attracted to come to Michigan because of the center."

Political science Prof. Harold Jacobson said Miller was always looking for ways to help the people he worked with.

"He was a wonderfully warm and generous person who did everything to advance the careers of his colleagues," Jacobson said.

Jacobson said Miller's place in the history of political science will not soon be forgotten.

"The importance of his contribution ... was immense," he said.

Santa Traugott, a student in one of Miller's classes during the early '60s, said students felt comfortable expressing their opinions to the professor.

"He was very excited by whatever research he was doing and he was a very democratic person," Traugott said.

"Students could be his colleagues."

Miller left the University in 1980 to teach at Arizona State University.

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