William Read Miller | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 12th Governor of Arkansas | |
| In office January 11, 1877 – January 11, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | Augustus Hill Garland |
| Succeeded by | Thomas James Churchill |
| 39th and 42nd Arkansas State Auditor | |
| In office 1857–1860 | |
| Governor | Elias Nelson Conway |
| Preceded by | A.S. Huey |
| Succeeded by | H.C. Lowe |
| In office 1861–1864 | |
| Governor | Henry Massey Rector Thomas Fletcher Harris Flanagin |
| Preceded by | H.C. Lowe |
| Succeeded by | James R. Berry |
| In office 1866–1868 | |
| Governor | Isaac Murphy |
| Preceded by | James R. Berry |
| Succeeded by | James R. Berry |
| In office 1874–1877 | |
| Governor | Augustus Hill Garland |
| Preceded by | Stephen Wheeler |
| Succeeded by | John Crawford |
| In office 1887 | |
| Governor | Simon Pollard Hughes Jr. |
| Preceded by | A.W. Files |
| Succeeded by | W.S. Dunlop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 23, 1823 Batesville, Arkansaw Territory, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1887 (aged 64) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. 34°44′15.3″N 92°16′42.5″W / 34.737583°N 92.278472°W |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Susan Elizabeth Bevens
(m. 1849) |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician |
| Signature |  |
William Read Miller (November 23, 1823 – November 29, 1887) was the 12th Governor of Arkansas. Born in Batesville, Arkansaw Territory; Miller was Arkansas's first native born governor. Serving two terms in the turbulent period after Reconstruction, Miller's four-year administration marked the beginnings of New Departure Democrats in Arkansas. Running on a platform of economic growth via reconciliation between whites and freedmen, Miller often was opposed by members of his own party during the infancy of the Lost Cause ideology.[citation needed] His plans to pay back a large state debt including the Holford Bonds, valued at $14 million ($493 million today), were often interrupted by racial violence, and his support for public schools and universities was often combated by those in his own party.[citation needed]
Miller desired an unprecedented third gubernatorial term in 1881, but the Democrats instead nominated Thomas Churchill, a Democratic hard-liner and former major general in the Confederate States Army. Following his defeat, Miller served on boards of several railroads and as a trustee of the University of Arkansas. He also served as Arkansas State Auditor for 12 of the 30 years between 1857 and his death in 1887, making him the third-longest tenured Auditor in Arkansas history.