GREENVILLE, Pa.—Professor of Economics and Business Administration and Norman P. Mortensen Chair of Economics David Miller ’61 will celebrate his 55th anniversary of teaching at Thiel College, a leading liberal arts college in northwest Pennsylvania, on Sept. 1.
Miller began teaching at Thiel College on Sept. 1, 1963. He is the longest-tenured professor in the College’s 152-year history. In the past, Miller has had the largest faculty-student advising load. He has taught more classes, advised more students and served more years than any professor in Thiel College’s history.
“Professor David Miller represents so much of what is great about Thiel College and its community,” President Susan Traverso, Ph.D., said. “His dedication to his students, commitment to the business and accounting professors and steadfast support of the College’s are all unparalleled. David Miller’s role as a mentor extends beyond his students. His distinctive style, passion for education and business sense have had an impact on his faculty colleagues and the institution as a whole.”
Miller is the first professor to hold an endowed chair at Thiel College. He is also the first working professor to have a chair endowed in his name. Counting his four years as a student, Miller has been on campus for 59 years.
In 2014, during a presentation announcing the campaign to endow a chair in his name, Miller said he was asked by a student once, “what does Thiel College owe you?” He quickly responded ‘Thiel College owes me nothing! I owe Thiel College everything!’”
Miller has served as the director of the Haller Enterprise Institute since it was founded in 1996. He is also the first professor to hold an endowed academic chair, the Norman P. Mortensen Chair of Economics at Thiel College. Professor and Arthur McGonigal Department Chair of Business Administration and Accounting Gary J. Witosky ’79 was a student of Miller’s and was named the first David M. Miller Endowed Chair in Accounting in 2017. Miller is the 1990 recipient of the Sears-Roebuck Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award. In October 1999, he received the Service to Thiel Award from the Thiel College Alumni Association.
“It is both an honor and a privilege to be the first person to hold the Professor David M. Miller Endowed Chair of Accounting. Dave was my first accounting professor in Principles of Accounting. His incomparable teaching ability provided me the solid base I needed to be successful in the rest of the accounting curriculum and his boundless enthusiasm lit a spark which resulted in a passion for accounting that carried beyond my studies and into my professional career,” Witosky said. “Dave’s influence on me during my time at Thiel has played a significant role, not only in my career but in my life, and I know that thousands of other alumni could make this same statement.”
Miller earned his Master in Business Administration in 1962 from the University of Pittsburgh where he was awarded a full fellowship. He received his Bachelor of Science in 1961 from Thiel College. Miller is a local business owner with more than 45 years of experience in different industries. He is also the president of the Mercer County Historical Society.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.