By: Arielle Pare, Bicentennial Intern, Class of 2021, International Studies, French, Bloomington
Edited by: Ellie Kaverman and Bre Anne Briskey, Bicentennial Graduate Assistants
Policing and justice have always been important topics in American life.
Before Martin Luther King Jr. entered the mainstream American narrative in the 1950s through the Civil Rights Movement, academics such as J. Eroll Miller were writing about civil rights and analyzing the relationship between justice and law enforcement.
James Erroll Miller (also known as J. Erroll), first chair of the forensic studies department at Indiana University Bloomington, helped reveal issues in the country’s justice system to the mainstream public over 70 years ago.[1] He openly discussed and studied the meaning of civil rights well before the Civil Rights era began. Dr. Miller was also a strong proponent for Black involvement in higher education.
Early Life, Education, and Lincoln University
Born in 1908, Dr. Miller grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the University of Pittsburgh, he received his undergraduate degree in political science in 1931 and earned his master’s degree in 1932. He later earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1945 and earned the Harrison Fellows Scholarship.[2]
Despite being a Black scholar in the midst of the Great Depression, he was determined to contribute to the discourse on civil rights and social justice.[3]
In 1937, Dr. Miller began his tenure at Lincoln University, where he became the chair of department of history and government.[4] During his 30 years at Lincoln University, he wrote numerous academic works that continue to be relevant today, including “Safeguarding Civil Rights” in 1947.[5] In 1963, he was designated by the United States Secretary of Labor as a member of its Executive Reserve Unit, a corps available to take a leadership government role during a national emergency.[6]
Coming to Indiana University
Dr. Miller’s journey to Indiana University began with a 1968 letter on the behalf of Dr. Robert F. Borkenstein, the chair of (what was then) the police administration department. The letter asked for assistance with a graduate research proposal that involved a historical analysis of “the relationships of ethnic groups to the field of law enforcement.”[7]
Coincidentally, Dr. Miller was also exploring the possibility of starting a law enforcement program at Lincoln University.
The IU police administration department had recently created a new law enforcement graduate program, and was looking to modernize its approach to criminal justice.
In this letter, Dr. Miller suggests hiring more qualified people of color into IU’s police administration department.
One new idea was to hire a visiting professor so that Indiana University could “benefit from cross-cultural discussions,” alluding to Lincoln University being a historically Black college (HBU). [8] Borkenstein explained that recruitment from a HBU in the social sciences would be “a contribution to increasing Negro cultural activity on this campus.”[9]
This interest on the part of Borkenstein and IU was shared by Dr. Miller and Lincoln University. While Dr. Miller was enthusiastic about the blooming relationship between the two schools, he seemed reluctant to send any Lincoln University staff besides himself to Indiana University. He mused in a letter to Borkenstein on December 27, 1968:
“I hope we will be able to work out something for a whole year, for it would let us accomplish much more. You might wish to consider a person (of color) for a regular position. Yes, I would be interested!”[10]
And Borkenstein agreed. On February 21, 1969, Dr. Miller was appointed as a visiting professor. Soon after his appointment, he took part in a police community relations seminar, which was endorsed by the Indianapolis mayor, Richard Lugar, and the Chief of Police, Winston Churchill.[11] After a single semester on campus, Dr. Miller became a full-time professor in the police administration department.[12]
Dr. Miller began his full-time career at Indiana University at a crucial time. In 1971, Borkenstein insisted that the department name be changed from police administration to forensic studies to better reflect the department’s shift to an interdisciplinary approach to the criminal justice system. Dr. Miller was appointed chair of the newly named department.[13]
A 1971 article in The Indianapolis News wrote about the department changes, saying that “reorientation of the [forensic studies] department will intensify” under Dr. Miller’s leadership, and that the department would “shed its trade badge in favor of the social sciences.”[14] Indeed, Dr. Miller challenged preconceptions of the methods that were traditionally used to study the criminal justice system. He said, “The thrust of the change in the department is to switch the focus away from just the police and to the whole criminal justice system and its place in society, and how society reacts to it.”[15]
Dr. Miller’s views resulted in numerous name changes for the department before its current title as the criminal justice department in 1985. He worked diligently to restructure the department’s administration.
Departmental Challenges and a Vision for the Future
At the beginning of his tenure, Dr. Miller faced a variety of challenges in his department. He struggled to recruit staff members who were “concerned with humanistic aspects of law enforcement., [16] James Ostenburg, a visiting professor at the time, stated that the department was “in turmoil,” a state that would be difficult for any incoming chair to confront, in addition to financial challenges.[17]
Despite these obstacles, Dr. Miller demonstrated clear leadership. In a 1973 review of the department, George W. Wilson, dean of the colleges of arts and sciences, praised the department for improvements under Dr. Miller’s leadership:
“…The quality of students is increasing. Teaching was cited as having highest priority within the department and considerable faculty time is devoted to preparation of classroom materials and student counselling. There was considerable enthusiasms about the curriculum many of you describing is as unique involving as it does a multi-disciplinary approach to the etiology of law violation and appropriate corrective measures.”[18]
George Wilson’s analysis of the department was accurate. During Dr. Miller’s time as chair, there were nearly 500 undergraduates in the program, an all-time high.[19] Less than 10 full-time faculty conducted classes, leaving no wonder why the faculty had few publications.[20]
While his department suffered from lack of publications and divided loyalties, Dr. Miller maintained an ambitious long-term agenda. In 1971, he proposed a detailed and comprehensive list of his proposals.
These included developing a Ph.D. program, strengthening the existing M.S. and M.A. degrees, facilitating more faculty-student interactions through fellowships, funding a visiting scholars program and an academic in-residence program, and organizing a national workshop for faculty development.[21] Although the Ph.D. program was not realized until 1997, years after his death, Dr. Miller’s proposal list clearly shows his strong vision for the department’s future.
Dr. Miller acknowledged the racial issues at IU and, more generally, in American society. In a 1975 letter to Borkenstein, he commented on these issues:
“In this society–including IU–there is a lot of bigotry, neither of which bothers … to any extent. Financially, intellectually, and morally, I am the equal of most of those with whom I associate. Since I am not modest, I would hazard the conviction that I am superior to most of them. No person needs to offer any special consideration, compensatory treatment, etc, on my behalf.”[22]
However, as departmental chair, his views on race relations transcended his own personal experiences. He strongly pushed for affirmative action policies in his department and advocated for his view of criminal justice as a way of understanding social behavior.
Dr. Miller often spoke about the lack of trust in law enforcement. In 1971, he emphasized that some people of color felt mistrustful of police and also commented on criticism towards police “on both sides” for unconscious (and conscious) biases.[23] He said in The Indianapolis News:
“In the case of subcultures, such as blacks, they operate under a feeling of frustration, and believe they cannot get grievances redressed through established channels. They go around the channels.”[24]
Dr. Miller’s Legacy at IU and Criminal Justice
In 1971, Dr. Miller advocated for renaming the U.S. justice system “the administration of justice”.[25] Because of his liberal arts background, he offered a unique perspective on the study of criminality and advocated for the department to include a wide range of fields including economics, sociology, and even folklore.
As such, he believed that those in the police should be educated as “generalists,” obtaining an education that allowed them to understand how individuals process decisions in order to make bureaucracy more humane.[26]
Dr. Miller left other lasting impacts on the department including a great emphasis on teaching and an increase in the number of undergraduates in the program during his tenure.
Dr. Miller was a major contributor to other organizations outside of campus. Not only was he the executive secretary of the Association of Science Teachers in 1960, he was also an associate member of the International Association of Police Professors, the Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and the American Political Science Association.
He was chair of the Cole County Visitors Board, where he suggested policies for more humane treatment in prisons.[27] His engagement and activity in these organizations provide further evidence of his dedication to the improvement of American society through education, cooperation, and justice.
Dr. Miller retired from IU as professor emeritus in 1979.[28] In 1982, only three years after his retirement, Dr. Miller died.
Dr. Miller’s personal library collection was donated to the Black Culture Center Library and subsequently to the IU Libraries Research Collection. Even after his death, he continued to contribute to the academic aspirations of Black students at IU.[29]
Author’s note: The sources used for the information in this article are largely from 1971, although Dr. Miller’s tenure at Indiana University lasted until 1979. Limited sources exist documenting the life of J. Erroll Miller after this year, a conclusion made after communicating with the IU Archives, local newspapers such as the Indiana Daily Student and the Indianapolis Star, and the IU criminal justice department.
Bibliography
- “1968 Letter from Nancy Miller, then research associate for the department, to Dr. Miller,” Miller, J. Erroll (Lincoln University Ethnic History Project with Nan), 1968-1975, Robert F. Borkenstein papers, Collection C416, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
- “Criminal Justice to Get Bigger I.U. Role.” The Indianapolis News,10 Mar 1971: p.39.
- of Forensic Studies, 1973, Indiana University Dean of the Faculties records, Collection C23, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.“Excise Police to Have ‘Merit-Type System.’ The Indianapolis Star, 12 Aug 1975: Page 21.
- ” Indiana University: Department of Criminal Justice.https://criminaljustice.indiana.edu/about/history.html.
- Hudson, Herman C. “The Black Faculty at Indiana University 1970-93,” 1994.
- Indiana University Bloomington Faculty Council. Circular B43-1983, Mar 22, 1983.
- Indiana University Board of Trustees. Minutes of the Board of Trustees of Indiana University, 04 May 1969.
- Indiana University Bloomington Faculty Council. Minutes of the Board of Trustees of Indiana University, 25 July 1969-28 July 1969.
- Indiana University Board of Trustees. Minutes of the Board of Trustees of Indiana University, 20 February 1971.
- Lincoln University Bulletin, November 1963.
- Lincoln University. Lincoln University Yearbook. Jefferson City, Missouri. 1968, p. 38.
- “Local Omegas Achievement Program Fine.” Pittsburgh Courier, 02 Dec 1933: p. 8.
- Miller, J. Erroll (Lincoln University Ethnic History Project with Nan), 1968-1975, Robert F. Borkenstein papers, Collection C416, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
- “State Justice System Changes Are Proposed.” Seymour Daily Tribune (Seymour, Indiana), 3 Jun 1971: p. 20.
- “Services Held for J. Erroll Miller.” Indianapolis Star, 14 May 1982: p. 32.
- The University Libraries, Indiana University Office of African American Affairs records, Collection C176, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
- “Thinks System Is Mislabeled.” The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County (Valparaiso, Indiana), 27 Mar 1971: p. 12.
- “Visitors Board Commands Jail Housekeeping.” Jefferson City Post-Tribune, 29 Jul 1966: 1.
Notes
[1] Note: Before the department was forensic studies, it was called the department of police administration; in 1985, it was renamed the department of criminal justice.
[2] Indiana University Bloomington Faculty Council. Circular B43-1983, March 22, 1983.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Lincoln University Yearbook, 1961.
[5] Miller, J. Erroll (Lincoln University Ethnic History Project with Nan), 1968-1975, Robert F. Borkenstein papers, Collection C416, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
[6] Lincoln University Alumni Bulletin, November 1963.
[7] 1968 Letter from Nancy Miller, then research associate for the department, to Dr. Miller, IU Archives.
[8] Miller, J. Erroll (Lincoln University Ethnic History Project with Nan), 1968-1975, Robert F. Borkenstein papers, Collection C416, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Indiana University Bloomington Faculty Council. Minutes of the Board of Trustees of Indiana University, July 25, 1969- July 28, 1969.
[13] Indiana University Board of Trustees. Minutes of the Board of Trustees of Indiana University, February 20, 1971.
[14] “Criminal Justice To Get Bigger I.U. Role.” The Indianapolis News, Mar 10, 1971: p.39.
[15] Ibid.
[16] “Criminal Justice To Get Bigger I.U. Role.”
[17] Dept. of Forensic Studies, 1973, Indiana University Dean of the Faculties records, Collection C23, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Indiana University Bloomington Faculty Council. Circular B43-1983, 22 Mar 1983.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Miller, J. Erroll (Lincoln University Ethnic History Project with Nan), 1968-1975, Robert F. Borkenstein papers, Collection C416, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
[23] “State Justice System Changes Are Proposed.” Seymour Daily Tribune Jun 3, 1971: p. 20.
[24] “Criminal Justice To Get Bigger I.U. Role.”
25 “Thinks System Is Mislabeled.”
[26] “State Justice System Changes Are Proposed.”
[27] “Visitors Board Commands Jail Housekeeping.” Jefferson City Post-Tribune, 29 Jul 1966: p. 1.
[28] Indiana University Board of Trustees. Minutes of the Board of Trustees of Indiana University, 04 May 1969.
[29] The University Libraries, Indiana University Office of African American Affairs records, Collection C176, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.