Julius Sumner Miller

Biography

Julius Sumner Miller, a physicist, science educator, and television performer, was born on May 17, 1909 in Billerica, Massachusetts, USA. He was the youngest of nine children, with his father being a farmer from Latvia and his mother from Lithuania. Originally named Julius Simon, he later changed his name to Sumner. Julius received his education from local schools, Boston University, and the University of Idaho. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in 1932, a Master's degree in 1933, and another Master's degree in 1940. On April 21, 1934, he married Alice Marion Brown, who worked as a maid, and they did not have any children. For two years, Julius worked as a butler to support himself. Miller taught physics at Dillard University in New Orleans from 1937-38 and 1941-52, as well as at El Camino College in California from 1953-74. He also served as a visiting lecturer at the US Air Force Academy from 1965-85. Miller was a guest on several popular TV shows, such as ‘The Groucho Marx Show’, ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ and ‘The Tonight Show’ hosted by Johnny Carson. Additionally, he recorded science shows in the United States. Miller visited Australia multiple times between 1962 and 1986. His visits were primarily for giving demonstrations and lectures at the annual science school for high-school students in the physics department at the University of Sydney. These lectures were televised for many years. Additionally, he hosted a television program called 'Why Is It So?' for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Miller enjoyed showcasing the wonders of nature and rarely provided detailed explanations. Instead, he encouraged his audience to seek answers themselves. Despite being a serious scientist, he exuded infectious enthusiasm and brought each presentation to life by sharing the history of the subject and the meanings of relevant words. His sessions were dramatic and punctuated with phrases like 'Watch it now! Watch it!' or 'He who is not stirred by the beauty of it is already dead!'. He also set traps to keep the audience engaged, such as asking them to verify if a glass was empty and then berating them for not noticing that it was filled with air. Australian newspapers published a daily question posed by Miller, a ‘Millergram’, and also an answer to the previous day’s question. He also appeared in television advertisements for non-stick saucepans, Ampol petroleum, and Cadbury's chocolate. Miller was a prolific writer, with numerous publications to his name. These included many articles in the American Journal of Physics, as well as books based on his television and radio shows. Some of his notable works were "Why It Is So" and "The Kitchen Professor". He also wrote a book called "Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds" and an autobiography titled "The Days of My Life". Miller passed away on April 14, 1987, at his home in Torrance, Los Angeles, California. He left his body to the University of Southern California's School of Dentistry. In his memory, the Australian Science Foundation for Physics established a fellowship in 1993.