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The Influence of One
College Mourns the Passing of Dr. Jerome B. Miller and Announces Dedication in his Honor
22 The University of Oklahoma-College of Dentistry / 2020 Magazine Jerome B. Miller, D.D.S., was a nationally recognized and respected pediatric dentist who taught part-time at the college and mentored countless dental students throughout his professional career. Dr. Miller passed away in July of 2019. An Oklahoma native, Dr. Miller earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Oklahoma. After graduating in 1963, he attended dental school at Baylor College of Dentistry and received his graduate pediatric dentistry training at the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. Dr. Miller returned to Oklahoma City in 1968, where he established his private pediatric dental practice and dedicated his life to providing high-quality dental care to the children of Oklahoma, until his retirement in 2012. The Influence of One…
largest fundraiser. Concerned about the ever-rising cost of dental education, Dr. Miller established the Miller Scholarship in 2003, providing an annual $5,000 award to a deserving dental student who showed great enthusiasm and promise in pediatric dentistry. He continued to stay in contact with and mentor these scholars throughout their professional lives.
In 2009, he was awarded the OU College of Dentistry Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award, the college’s highest honor.
Dr. Miller’s impact on the dental profession is profound. He served as president and was a fellow of both the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American College of Dentists (ACD), where he worked tirelessly to elevate the ethics of the profession. Both organizations recognized his efforts by awarding him their top awards, the Distinguished Service Award (AAPD-1999), the Pediatric Dentist of the Year (AAPD-2004) and the William J. Gies Award (ACD-217). Further, he was a valued fellow in both the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the International College of Dentistry.
Despite earning his dental education at other institutions, Dr. Miller considered the University of Oklahoma to be his home. The OU College of Dentistry first opened in 1972, nearly a decade after Dr. Miller enrolled in dental school. In an interview from 2016, Dr. Miller said, “I call OU my dental school now even though I wasn’t able to go there.” In 2016, Dr. Miller, and his wife Kay, announced a $1 million gift to the college to underwrite the renovation of OU’s pediatric dental clinic, which treats more than 2,000 low-income patients per year.
When asked what inspired this gift, Dr. Miller said, “One of the principal reasons I give to the college is that it is teaching state-of-the-art dentistry, and that’s what I’m about.”
23 The University of Oklahoma-College of Dentistry / 2020 Magazine One student who grew fond of Dr. Miller and his dedication to pediatric dentistry was Kevin Haney, D.D.S. “Through the years, what Jerry did for the OU College of Dentistry was nothing short of extraordinary,” Dr. Haney said. “Personally, what he did for me was transformative— to be a living example of what I should always be: professional, ethical, engaged, knowing, seeking and giving. Because of his mentorship, I’m a far better person than I would have been without him.” Dr. Miller was a great advocate and supporter of the college. It was largely through his efforts that the college’s first endowed chair came to culmination – the William E. Brown Chair in Pediatric Dentistry. In addition, he played an integral role in the creation of the J. Dean Robertson Society, the college’s annual private support fund and In recognition of his life-long support and dedication to the OU College of Dentistry, the college is honored to announce the naming of its pediatric dental clinic in his memory, and will hereby be known as the Dr. Jerome B. Miller Pediatric Dental Clinic. When renovations are complete, the Dr. Jerome B. Miller Pediatric Dental Clinic will be one of the most technologically advanced clinics available, with full computerization and the addition of 3-D radiographic units, transforming the appearance of the current institutional
