Keith Harvey Miller

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Keith Miller

|image = Keith H. Miller.jpg

|order = 3rd Governor of Alaska

|lieutenant = Robert Ward

|term_start = January 29, 1969

|term_end = December 7, 1970

|predecessor = Wally Hickel

|successor = William Egan

|office1 = Secretary of State of Alaska

|governor1 = Wally Hickel

|term_start1 = December 5, 1966

|term_end1 = January 29, 1969

|predecessor1 = Hugh Wade

|successor1 = Robert Ward

|birth_name = Keith Harvey Miller

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|3|1}}

|birth_place = Seattle, Washington, U.S.

|death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|3|2|1925|3|1}}

|death_place = Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.

|party = Republican

|relatives = Robert Miller (brother)

|education = University of Idaho, Moscow
University of Washington, Seattle (BS)

}}

Keith Harvey Miller (March 1, 1925 – March 2, 2019) was an American Republican politician from Alaska. Miller was the second secretary of state of Alaska under Walter Hickel. He became the third 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.

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.{{Cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Keith Harvey|last2=Maynard|first2=Joseph Edward|title=Prudhoe Bay Governor|year=1997|publisher=Todd Communications|location=Anchorage|isbn=1-878100-99-8}} Miller attended and graduated from high school in Bothell.{{cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/keith-miller-alaskas-third-governor-dies-at-94/|title=Keith Miller, Alaska's third governor, dies at 94|work=Seattle Times|date=March 6, 2019}}{{Cite book|last1=Atwood|first1=Evangeline|authorlink1=Evangeline Atwood|last2=DeArmond|first2=Robert N.|authorlink2=R. N. DeArmond|title=Who's Who in Alaskan Politics|year=1977|publisher=Binford & Mort for the Alaska Historical Commission|location=Portland|isbn=0-8323-0287-2|page=67}} 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.

Early career and move to Alaska

After leaving the military, Miller established a holly farm in Olympia, Washington in 1946. During this time, he spent portions of several summers working in the Territory of Alaska and also studied at the University of Washington, Seattle, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1952.{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/obituary.aspx?n=keith-h-miller&pid=191761263|title=Keith Miller obituary|publisher=Anchorage Daily News|date=March 6, 2019}} Miller sold the holly farm in 1953, the same year he married Diana Mary Doyle in Seattle and established a collection agency there. He sold the agency in 1957 after being hired by the Internal Revenue Service, who stationed him in Anchorage, Alaska.

Early political career

Miller began his political career in 1962 with his election to the Alaska House of Representatives., where he served one term. He served as Secretary of State of Alaska (now the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska) from 1966 until Hickel resigned to become United States Secretary of the Interior under President Richard M. Nixon, on January 29, 1969.[https://archive.today/20121209185059/http://www.library.state.ak.us/hist/hist_docs/finding_aids/MS178.doc Alaska Historical Collections: Gov. Keith H. Miller. 1925–]. Alaska State Library. Retrieved on February 1, 2010.[http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=fbe8224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD Alaska Governor Keith H. Miller] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223213239/http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=fbe8224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD |date=February 23, 2010 }}. American Governor's Association. Retrieved on February 1, 2010. He was promptly elevated to the position of Governor of Alaska.Claus M. Naske and Herman E. Slotnick. Alaska: A History of the 49th State. University of Oklahoma Press, 1984. 292.

Governor of Alaska

{{Further|1970 Alaska gubernatorial election|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.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/11/05/archives/egan-regains-governors-post-in-alaska.html|title=Egan Regains Governor's Post in Alaska|work=New York Times|date=November 5, 1970}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.anchoragepress.com/news/the-pf-and-the-d-a-history-of-how-we/article_c3d42eb0-aea5-11e7-a8ab-ff3916eb5422.html|title=The PF and The D: A history of how we got here|publisher=Anchorage Press|date=October 11, 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.adn.com/politics/article/ranking-alaskas-governors/2008/09/15/|title=Ranking Alaska's Governors|work=Anchorage Daily News|date=September 15, 2008|archive-date=August 9, 2018|access-date=August 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809060606/https://www.adn.com/politics/article/ranking-alaskas-governors/2008/09/15/|url-status=dead}}

He lobbied extensively for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/04/27/archives/100-alaskans-descend-on-washington-this-week-to-lobby-for-oil.html|title=100 Alaskans Descend on Washington This Week to Lobby for Oil Pipeline Proposal|work=The New York Times|date=April 27, 1970}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/04/29/archives/alaska-governor-asks-road-funds-legislature-will-be-urged-to.html|title=Alaska Governor Asks Road Funds|work=The New York Times|date=April 27, 1970}}

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. He faced a primary election challenge from two-term Congressman Howard Wallace Pollock. He defeated Pollock, but faced William A. Egan, who was Alaska’s first governor, in the general election.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/08/27/archives/alaskas-governor-wins-primary-race.html|title=Alaska's Governor Wins Primary Race|work=The New York Times|date=August 27, 1970}} Egan won the race, 52.4-46.1. Only after the 1973 oil crisis did Congress pass the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act that Miller sought.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/19/archives/alaska-pipeline-flow-set-to-start-tomorrow-oil-set-to-start-flowing.html|title=Alaska Pipeline Flow Set to Start Tomorrow|work=The New York Times|date=June 19, 1977}}

Later career

In 1972, Miller was elected to a four-year term in the Alaska Senate. 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-aug-03-me-hammond3-story.html|title=Jay Hammond, 83; Former Alaska Gov. Championed Oil-Royalty Fund|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 3, 2005}} In 1977, Governor Hammond named Miller to a seat on the Alaska Transportation Commission to serve as its chair.

Death

Miller died from pancreatic cancer while at a hospice in Anchorage a day after his 94th birthday on March 2, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/keith-miller-alaskas-third-governor-dies-at-94|title=Keith Miller, Alaska's third governor, dies at 94|work=National Post|date=March 6, 2019}} His wife, Jean Cuffel Miller, preceded him in death.