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When William Rudolph Miller was born, his grandmother stated, “anybody that small can’t have a name that long. His name will be Booty”. Booty said his grandmother told him that Booty meant treasure – treasure that was usually stolen! He added that his nickname actually came from the Bible. Booty’s daughter sent me the following after reading one of my columns: “Although I've met a queen, had tea with a crowned princess, and played volleyball with a prince, my dad is the richest man I've ever known.” With an intro like that, I had to go meet this long time Blount County resident and retired educator. Recently I visited him in the house he has lived in for over fifty years which over looks the hills leading up to Look Rock. There I learned, as his daughter stated, that “His golden goose is the sense of belonging that he possesses about his place in his ancestry, his family, in history, in the community, and in the world. His gift to the thousands of kids that experienced his tutelage (as well as his own children) was in giving a similar sense of belonging.”
 Booty Miller grew up without a lot of money in a household of seven children. Because there were so many children, so little money, and not enough milk for the family, Booty developed Rickets which stunted his growth. When he was eight months old, he had whooping cough which caused blindness in one eye. In his family, Miller’s wife made clothes for the children and much of the food the family ate was grown in the garden above their house. Though his family often lived from paycheck to paycheck, he never had a mortgage. He chose instead to build his own house with a little help from his brothers.
As a child, Booty and his friends would walk from his house in Six Mile to Cade’s Cove. He said exploring Chilhowee mountain and the surrounding area was one of his loves. Because there were seven kids in his family living in a four room house, Booty said at least one child was always staying with his grandparents. He remembers having snow blow in on his bed through the cracks in the house. Many of the neighbors and friends around his grandparents couldn’t read or write so Booty, whose mother insisted he learn to read before he started school, would read their letters to them and then write a response as it was dictated to him. It was this experience that led him to pursue a career in education. He received his bachelor’s degree at Maryville College where he often walked the fourteen mile round trip. He described one winter day with snow falling fiercely where he walked the entire seven miles home in drifts just below his waist. He’s been walking ever since and loves to show guests his literal “back forty”.
While in college, he worked for the Youth Conservation Corps which greatly influenced his career. Miller would ask others participating in the program to tell him about their schools. When he heard about the terrible conditions that some students had experienced, he vowed to create a different kind of education for his students. In a career that spanned forty-one years, Booty was certified to teach about a dozen subjects. In one school, he was principal, phys. Ed teacher, custodian, secretary, and treasurer.
Though numerous honors and distinctions have been awarded Booty from the community and Maryville College, I suspect his greatest legacy is the indelible print he left on the hearts and minds of the students he touched. Once, as principal at a high school, he was given a note by a young girl and asked to read it later. When Booty opened the note, he learned that she planned to commit suicide. She described in detail her funeral and what songs she wanted played. Of course, Booty intervened and helped to save this troubled teens life. Many years later, he ran into this woman. I am sure she is glad Booty made the choice to pursue his life’s calling. I suspect there are many people in this area who would agree that Booty touched the lives of many and made Blount County a Richer place. In his last year of teaching, his welcome words in the yearbook read:
I think there is a supreme being who cares about us.
I think there’s wisdom in just ordinary people.
I think it is important to provide justice for all people.
I think that doing what is the “greatest good for the greatest number of people” is usually a good way to decide things. But not always.
I think we need to simplify our lives.
I think we need to find ways to fit in better with the environment, the creation.
I think that as long as people have tender hearts our nation will survive.
Fitting words for a man who learned about words as a very young man. I think that as long as there are people like Booty Miller in our world, we’ll be just fine.
Tim Richardson is a professional speaker and author. If you know someone who is Living RICH, please contact Tim online or by calling 865.984.2700. He’s researching people who are Living Rich for a new book he is writing.
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For an inspirational and motivational speaker with a message unlike any other professional speaker, please call 800.226.4473 or 865.984.2700.
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