J. Clayton Miller Papers, 1930-1997, n.d.
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
John (Clayt) Clayton Miller was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 7, 1909. He attended Oberlin College from 1928-30. While a student at Oberlin, he was involved in many student activities, including the Glee Club, the Outing Club, the Oberlin Review, The Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association, and the YMCA. He was also awarded intramural pins for handball and basketball. He graduated from Oberlin with B.A. in Political Science/Pre-Law in 1930, and an A.M. degree in 1933.
Upon graduating from Oberlin, Miller went on to serve as a Shansi Representative in China, from 1930-32. The events between July 18, 1930 and September 6, 1931, the first year Miller was in China, are well documented in letters he sent home to his parents. While in China, Miller collected maps of the region and photographs. He also shot 14 reels of 16mm film depicting missionary work in Shansi.
Upon returning from China, Miller pursued Public Administration at Syracuse University, earning a Masters of Science degree in 1949. He then went on to Columbia University where he earned a M.S. in Chinese. Miller is the author of several articles and book reviews relating to politics in Japan and China. Some of his articles include "Japan Turns Back the Clock" (1938) and "Japan's China vs. China's China" (1938). (See the inventory for more titles.) From 1951-56, Miller was involved in the National Committee for a Free Europe. He then went on to a position with the Ford Motor Company, in Dearborn, MI (1956-58), then to Development Resources Corporation, in New York City (1958-61). In 1961, Miller took a position in the U.S. Department of State, where he served as staff assistant/management analyst for the Veterans Administration. He retired from this job in 1980.
As a member of the Oberlin Alumni Association, Miller had a distinguished career. Miller served as admissions representative, class agent for ten years, and class president. In 1976, he was elected treasurer of the Alumni Association, and since then served on the Alumni Board, the Alumni Council and the Executive Committee/Board, including a two-year term as president of the Alumni Association. In 1990, at the class of 1930's 60th reunion, Miller was awarded the Alumni Medal for his service to Oberlin College. In 1996, Miller organized "A Ringing Ceremony of Longevity" commemorating the class of 1930 and the K'ung Bell stand.
On his 1994 Class Directory Information Card, Miller stated: "Oberlin enriched my life in three ways: it sent me to Shansi and thus started a life-long interest in China's history and language, I've pursued this vigorously in retirement. Also, it developed a social consciousness which shaped my career; unfortunately it was not distinguished." J. Clayton Miller died in Bethesda, Maryland, on August 12, 1997.
SOURCES CONSULTED
Student file of J. Clayton Miller (RG 28).
Author: Tara Ikenouye and Kenneth M. Grossi Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative InformationThe records of the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association, 1881-1998.
The College Archives Museum Collection, RG 35 (accessions 1993/116 and 1994/079).
The papers of J. Clayton Miller primarily document Miller's time in China as a Shansi Representative from 1930 to 1932. Series I contains letters from Miller to his parents during his stay in China. Series III includes Chinese Maps collected in China. Motion picture film (not viewed by the Archives staff) documents Miller’s student missionary work in Shansi, China in the early 1930s. Miller’s insights into the situation in China and Japan during the 1930s are illustrated in his writings found in Series II. The writings in this series focus on topics such as Anti-Japanese Propaganda, Japan’s China versus China’s China, and military strategy in Northern China on the Hopei-Shansi-Chahar Border. Of particular interest are two letters written to the editors of Cleveland newspapers in 1938, in which Miller uses his first-hand experience to explain how Japan’s control over Chinese land was a strain on the Japanese Government, and how communism was not part of the Japanese restructuring plan in China. Also included are files concerning the history of the K’ung Bell and bell-stand, and the bell ringing ceremony on May 27, 1995 at the Allen Memorial Art Museum.
The collection is divided into eight series: 1. Correspondence; 2. Writings by J. Clayton Miller; 3. Maps; 4. Book Reviews; 5. Miscellaneous; 6. Files related to the K’ung Bell; 7. Diplomas and Certificates; and, 8. Moving Images.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series I. Correspondence, 1930-31, 1938 (2 Folders)
Contains letters from J. Clayton Miller to his parents while he was in China from July 1930 - September 1931. Also included is a letter to the editor of the Cleveland News and a letter to the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Both letters concern Japanese control of land in China during the 1930s.
Series II. Writings by J. Clayton Miller, 1936-38, 1984-86 (1 Folder)
The writings include newspaper articles and journal articles concerning the Chinese Government, Japanese control in China, and military strategy in China during the 1930s. Also included is an article concerning the Oberlin Alumni Association and its constitution (Miller was president of the Association, 1985-1986), and an article concerning contests sponsored by the Alumni Association. A complete list of the titles is included in the inventory. In addition, a draft of a report issued by the Hoover Commission and its Foreign Affairs Task Force is included.
Series III. Maps, n.d. (1 Folder)
These maps (5 total) are of areas in China, including Hangzhon, Hobei Province, Shansi, Peking, and Yenching University.
Series IV. Book Reviews, 1937, 1941 (1 Folder)
Included are J. Clayton Miller’s reviews of Ghengis Khan (1936) by Ralph Fox, The Struggle for North China by George E. Taylor, and Le Droit Chinos by Jean Escarra.
Series V. Miscellaneous, 1937 (1 Folder)
This series contains notes taken by J. Clayton Miller during a trip through the 8th Rte. Army area (China) in the fall of 1937. Also included is an Oberlin College pennant.
Series VI. Files related to the K’ung Bell, 1994-97, n.d. (2 Folders, 1 Scrapbook)
This series documents the history of the K’ung Bell, the bell-stand, and its placement in the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Included is a scrapbook of photographs, letters, and printed matter that documents the history of the bell-stand and the Ringing Celebration of Longevity on May 27, 1995.
Series VII. Diplomas and Certificates, 1930, 1933, 1949, 1966 (1 folder, 4 items)
Includes Miller's B.A. (1930) and A.M. (1933) diplomas from Oberlin College, Masters of Science in Public Administration diploma from Syracuse University (1949), and Pi Sigma Alpha Initiation Certificate (14 May 1966).
Series VIII. Moving Images, c. 1930s (14 film reels, 4 VHS duplicates, 4 DVD duplicates, 4 DBeta duplicates)
The motion picture films (16mm) in this series document J. Clayton’s student missionary work in Shansi, China, and travels in Japan, China, Korea, Europe, Argentina, and Brazil, c. 1930s. Small amounts of footage contain family material. Included are 4 VHS videotapes that contain copies of parts of the films, with chapter headings. Films dealing with Miller’s work in the Far East, as well the VHS tapes, were copied to 4 DBeta tapes and 4 DVDs in 2009 (additional reference DVDs made 2010). See the report from the vendor, Scene Savers (Covington, KY), on the content of all of the reels of film.
INVENTORY
Series I. Correspondence, 1930-31, 1938
Box 1
Letters from Clayton to his parents, while in China,
July 18, 1930-Sept. 6, 1931 (1f)
Letters to the editor (1f)
Cleveland News, September 1, 1938
Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 4, 1938
Series II. Writings by J. Clayton Miller, 1936-38, 1984-86 (1f)
Box 1 (cont.)
"Chinese Government Fosters Cooperatives," Far
Eastern Survey, Vol. V, No. 11, May 25, 1936
"The Chinese still rule North China-Political and
Military Strategy of Hopei-Shansi-Chahar
Border Government," Amerasia, Vol. II,
no. 7, September, 1938
"The Drama in China's Anti-Japanese Propaganda,"
Pacific Affairs, Vol. XI, no. 4, December 1938
“Hu Shih Looks at China’s Position,” Taiku Reflector,
Spring, 1932
"Japan Turns back the Clock," Amerasia, Vol. II, no. 8,
October, 1938
"Japan's China verses China's China," World Youth,
October 22, 1938
“Japs Battle A Reborn China,” The Cleveland Plain
Dealer, January 8, 1939
"New program leads to proposal of new constitution,"
Alumni Magazine, Summer 1984
"Alumni Association President Announces Two
Contests," Alumni Magazine, Fall 1986
Draft of report issued by the Hoover Commission
and its Foreign Affairs Task Force
Series III. Maps, c. 1930s (1f)
Box 1 (cont.)
Chines map of Hangzhon
Chinese map of Hobei Province
Chinese map of Shansi
Map of Peking
Map of Yenching University
Series IV. Book Reviews, 1937, 1941 (1f)
Box 1 (cont.)
Ghengis Khan (1936) by Ralph Fox, Pacific Affairs,
March 1937
The Struggle for North China by George E. Taylor,
China Today, April 1941
Le Droit Chinos by Jean Escarra, Illinois Law Review,
Vol. 32, no. 2, June, 1937
Series V. Miscellaneous, 1937 (1f)
Box 1 (cont.)
Notes of Clayton Miller during a trip through the 8th Rte.
Army area in late Fall 1937 (1f)
Oberlin College Pennant, n.d.
Series VI. Files related to the K'ung Bell, 1994-97, n.d.
Box 2
Correspondence re: K'ung Bell, March 16, 1994-
March 25, 1997 (1f)
A photo album of "A Short History of the Chinese
Bell-Stand" [n.d.] (1f)
Miscellaneous: name tag from " A Ringing Ceremony
of Longevity" event, and card from 1930
classmates of Miller (1f)
Series VII. Diplomas and Certificates, c. 1931, 1949, 1966
Box 2 (cont.)
Diplomas and a Certificate (1f)
Oberlin College Diplomas, B.A. (1930), A.M. (1933)
Masters of Science in Public Administration
Diploma, Syracuse University (1949)
Pi Sigma Alpha Initiation Certificate (14 May 1966)
Series VIII. Moving Images, c.1930s
Box 3
16mm films by J. Clayton Miller depicting student
missionary work in Shansi, China, c. 1931, and
travel in Japan, China, Korea, Europe, Argentina,
and Brazil, c.1930s (18 reels)
(partly duplicated in 4 copies on VHS video tapes)
Box 4
DVD and DBeta copies of reels 1-6, 8-10, and 14-16
(masters and reference copies). DVD and
DBeta copies of one of the VHS tapes
(all 4 tapes are the same)