Frederick W. Miller estate endows UW Law School

A gift of more than $7 million to create an endowed deanship at the Law School — a first for the university — was provided in the estate of Frederick W. Miller, former president and publisher of The Capital Times, officials announced Tuesday.

“Fred was always a devoted friend of the university, and this generous gift will go far to ensure that his name will always be associated with excellence in the Law School,” says Chancellor John D. Wiley. “He was always interested in topnotch academics and his philanthropy reflected that.”

The Miller donation is the largest ever received by the Law School, and will endow the first named deanship on the campus. The post, held by Kenneth B. Davis Jr., will now be known as the Frederick W. and Vi Miller Dean of the Law School.

Davis says the gift demonstrates that Miller, who died last December at age 91, placed a high value on the education he received at the Law School. Miller graduated from the school in 1936, went on to help set up the state’s first unemployment compensation program, and spent 41 years as a state government attorney and administrative law judge.

“This gift is a reflection of Fred Miller’s dedication to the school and his wish that it continue to be a vibrant teacher of future generations of attorneys,” Davis says. “We are incredibly grateful for his vision, his generosity and his unbending attention to academic achievement.”

The donation will cover the costs of the deanship and provide other support for legal education at UW–Madison.

“This is a wonderful gift and will permit us to make significant progress in realizing the goals of our strategic plan,” Davis says. “Fred Miller was universally admired. That he would choose to recognize and support the Law School’s mission in this way is truly moving.”

Gordon and Marjorie Davenport, trustees of the Miller trust and longtime friends of the newspaper executive, say Miller always held the university in high regard.

“He frequently talked about the university and how proud he was of it,” Gordon Davenport says. “His aim in this gift was to help to make the Law School pre-eminent in the nation. It’s his pride in the Law School that is behind this.”

Miller was an enthusiastic supporter of the university and took a leading role with both the William T. Evjue Charitable Trust and The Evjue Foundation Inc., which has been a substantial contributor to UW–Madison over the years. Evjue was the founder of The Capital Times.

Wiley notes that Miller had a particular interest in the Wisconsin Idea – the notion that the boundaries of the university are the boundaries of the state – and was instrumental in creating the William T. Evjue Chair for the Wisconsin Idea, now held by chemist Bassam Shakhashiri.

The Evjue Foundation gave 45 gifts to the university in the last year, ranging from a $1 million pledge for renovation of the communications center at Camp Randall Stadium, to a gift to the African Studies Program to support South African teacher training, to a Capital Times scholarship.

Miller’s ties to the university were long-standing. He graduated in 1934 with a political science degree before going on to Law School. As a freshman, he participated in the first basketball game ever played at the UW Field House, and lettered in the sport in 1931, 1932 and 1933. In his first year as a law student, he also coached the freshman team.

Andrew “Sandy” Wilcox, president of the UW Foundation, says Miller’s philanthropy left a profound mark on the university community and Madison at large.

“This latest gift guarantees that Fred’s influence will continue to be felt at UW–Madison, as it is throughout our community,” says Wilcox. “His support of the Law School is a lasting tribute to his commitment to higher education.”