William E. Miller ’51

William E. Miller ’51 died at his home in Phoenix on May 19. In his 60 years of living in the Southwest he was widely known as “Mr. Phoenix” for his many contributions to that city. Among his civic activities Bill served as big chief of the Phoenix Thunderbirds, an all-male group that fosters pride in the community and promotes events to benefit local nonprofit organizations. In that role he chaired the Phoenix Open golf tournament and was active in sponsoring the Special Olympics summer games. He served as president of the Dartmouth Club of Phoenix. Bill also lived large in his hobbies and outdoor activities. He loved flying, ballooning, fly-fishing, hunting and golfing, as well as restoring old cars. He was a collector of Western art and World War II memorabilia. He and his wife, Georgia, founded the Arizona Balloon Co. They also had a home in Montana where they operated the Elk Lake Camp. He was active in the Charlie Russell Riders Association in Big Fork, an organization dedicated to conservation of natural resources. Bill spent 34 years in the investment business, primarily with Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. as manager of its southwest region. Bill was an economics major at Dartmouth and a member of Alpha Delta Phi. He received an M.B.A. from Stanford University and served for four years as a U.S. Marine Corps pilot. His late brother, Charles, was a member of Dartmouth’s class of 1945.