Saturday, December 12, 2020

William Miller (doorkeeper)

MrLinkinPark333: quotation mark around nickname


'''William Moseley "Fishbait" Miller''' (July 20, 1909September 12, 1989) was an American who worked in the [[United States House of Representatives]], as [[Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives]] from 1949 to 1953 and again from 1955 to 1974.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>

== Early life ==
William Moseley Miller was born on July 20, 1909, in [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]] to Albert Magnus Miller, a sea captain, and his wife Nettie Maddox.<ref name=":4">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> As a child he was nicknamed "fishbait" for his small stature (he weighed 75 pounds at the age of 15), which he was known by his whole life.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> Miller worked at the local pharmacy for several years, where he met [[William Colmer]], then a [[district attorney]]. Colmer helped him get into Harrison-Stone Junior College, which he attended from 1929 to 1932.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>

== Career ==
Miller began working at the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1933 as a clerk at the House's Post Office.<ref name=":0" /> Colmer had offered him the job after being elected to the House.<ref name=":4" /> Miller married Mabel Breeland in 1937. They would have one child.<ref name=":1" /> By 1947, he was Minority Doorkeeper for the house and two years later was elected to the post of [[Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives]]. In the role, he oversaw 357 employees and a budget of over $3 million. He served as doorkeeper from 1949 to 1953 and again from 1955 to 1974, and was minority doorkeeper from 1953 to 1955 during the [[83rd United States Congress]], when the House was controlled by the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party.]]<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2"></ref><ref name=":3"></ref> When Miller drew office assignments for house members, he was known to sand his fingertips in order to identify the discs he was drawing and ensure Democratic members got desirable positions.<ref name=":3" />

He was known for having a "flamboyant personality and affinity for the public spotlight", for his announcement of “Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States,” during the [[State of the Union]] speech,<ref name=":0" /> and for enforcing traditions of the House.<ref name=":1" /> For example, he once told [[Bella Abzug]] remove her hat before entering the chamber.<ref name=":4" /> In response, she told Miller to "go fuck yourself."<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> Miller also functioned in the role by escorting visiting foreign dignitaries.<ref name=":1" /> A 1950 profile in ''[[The New York Times]]'' described Miller as "odd-jobs man for his 435 bosses" mentioning that he functioned as "baby-sitter, cigar-lighter, gum-giver and even water boy."<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> He earned $40,000 a year,<ref name=":5">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)}}</ref> $2,500 less than a congressperson.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)}}</ref> In 1952, he drew attention for addressing the visiting [[Elizabeth II]] (then Prince Elizabeth) with "Howdy, Ma'am."<ref name=":1" />

In 1974, Miller faced competition for his job for the first time since 1949.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> He had been increasingly criticized for enjoying attention too much, and "rankled" some members of Congress.<ref name=":5" /> On December 2, 1974,<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> he was ousted replaced by [[James T. Molloy]]. Upon leaving the post, he remarked “I have lived a good life, a full life,” and “I have enjoyed every minute of it and as I leave I have no regrets and no axes to grind.”<ref name=":0" /> He wrote ''Fishbait: the Memoirs of the Congressional Doorkeeper'' with [[Frances Spatz Leighton]],<ref name=":4" /> which was published in 1977,<ref name=":1" /> and he died on September 12, 1989, in [[Greensboro, North Carolina]] of a [[heart attack]].<ref name=":0">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref></ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' described him as an "enthusiastic socializer and an irrepressible dynamo".<ref name=":1" />

== See also ==

* [[Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives]]

== References ==


== External links ==

* [https://ift.tt/3qSPigw Finding aid for the William "Fishbait" Miller collection]

[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:Employees of the United States House of Representatives]]


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