Oscar A. Miller

Oscar A. Miller was born 6 March 1868 in Richland Center, Wisconsin. While living in Montana, he read a book called "The Way to God" by Dwight Lyman Moody, and a year later moved to Chicago to become a student at the Moody Bible Institute (1896-1898). First a student in the music program there, under Dr. Daniel B. Towner, Miller was soon appointed as a permanent faculty member, teacher of music. (As evidenced by the faculty lists found in "The Institute Tie" starting with the first volume in 1900.) Miller wrote music to his own lyrics, lyrics by his first wife Elizabeth, and lyrics by others. Miller contributed to Dr. Towner's 1901 publication "Class and Chorus: a text book for chorus classes, singing schools, public schools and institutes," including five of his compositions. Four of these have words by Mrs. O. A. Miller, and the fifth has words by Philip Doddridge. Miller's wife Elizabeth had also been a Moody Bible Institute student. Together, they had two daughters, Elizabeth (1898) and Ruth (1902). After the death of Mrs. Miller in 1917, O.A. met Edna LaVergne Decker at a revival meeting, and married Miss Decker in 1920. Miller died on Jan. 25, 1923, in the midst of a revival meeting in Blackstone, Illinois.

Myrna Layton (Oscar Miller researcher)