Miller, Roosevelt "Rosie"
James Roosevelt “Rosie” Miller (1921-86) was an associate professor of Music at Lee College (1952-86), teaching voice and music theory, and the longtime director of the Ladies of Lee choir (1968-86). He was born November 7, 1921 and died May 13, 1986. He is buried at Hilcrest Memorial Gardens in Cleveland, Tennessee.
The following biographical sketch was written Dr. Jim W. Burns for the Spring 2011 issue of the Lee University Torch.
Roosevelt Miller possessed the heart of David, the worshiping musician. When the unstable economy of a Depression Era mill village sometimes left the young Roosevelt with no shoes to wear to school on an unsympathetic winter day, Roosevelt responded with music. He taught himself to play piano, accordion, guitar, and harmonica and lifted the spirits of the Landis, North Carolina, Church of God as surely as David’s harp dispelled King Saul’s spirit of depression. He absorbed instruction in the rudiments from itinerant purveyors of shape-note music. By the time he entered his teens, he accepted invitations to sing at revivals and area concerts, and he found that his singing and playing the guitar with its harness-attached harmonica brought struggling congregations into the presence of the Lord, gave them joy, and made him countless friends.
When World War II interrupted his music studies at the Bible Training School in Sevierville, Roosevelt again responded with music. He entertained seasick and homesick soldiers aboard the S.S. Simmonds on the way to the fighting fields, and he led inspirational music as a chaplain’s assistant in the midst of perilous duty in France and Germany.
After the war, his distinctive high-tenor voice brought offers to perform with the Vaughn Quartet, Smile Awhiles and other notable gospel groups. He found that the traveling lifestyle of the quartets didn’t compare favorably with the stable family life now offered by marriage to his bride, Polly Johnson Miller (1920-2010). Two daughters, Beverly and Sondra, rounded out his family.
He took his first appointment as music minister in Laurens, South Carolina, later serving with Ray Hughes Sr. in North Chattanooga. Their careers continued to intertwine, including times when Hughes served as radio speaker, president of Lee, and general overseer of the Church of God. Roosevelt also ministered at the Tremont Avenue Church of God in Greenville, South Carolina—the largest church in the denomination at the time.
Ever the teacher, Roosevelt Miller taught scores of singing schools, much of the time using the tradition honored shape-notes associated with Southern Gospel music. To enhance his teaching, he compiled a manual of basic music theory, and he prepared a booklet to utilize in teaching vocal technique at these sessions. His humor and high energy made him a favorite on the singing school circuit.
By 1952, Roosevelt’s reputation as a performer, teacher, conductor, and music minister brought him to the attention of R. Leonard Carroll, president of Lee College. Though Roosevelt at first declined an invitation to teach at the collegiate level, citing his lack of a degree, President Carroll convinced him that the numerous music courses completed at various institutions, along with his demonstrated performance skills, would qualify him to offer elective music studies at Lee. In the meantime, he encouraged Roosevelt to study at the University of Chattanooga (now University of Tennessee at Chattanooga). This Roosevelt did, and eventually completed a bachelor’s degree from UC and a master’s from Bob Jones University. Hundreds of outstanding singers and music ministers came through his voice studio and classes at Lee. He became well-known for his ability to assist professional performers with ailing voices to regain vocal health through good vocal practices.
Roosevelt maintained an active solo career throughout his ministry. It is said that one who never heard him sing, “When They Ring Those Golden Bells” never really heard it sung. He was unquestionably one of the finest interpreters of the gospel song of his generation. Every song he sang became his own. Vocal enthusiasts recognized his unusually broad range (he could vocalize a full three octaves, from high C to low C). His beautiful voice was heard on the nationally-broadcast Forward in Faith radio program for over two decades.
In 1968, Roosevelt assumed the role of director of the ladies choral ensemble begun by Mary Morris at Lee, renaming them the “Ladies of Lee.” He was particularly pleased to have this additional outlet for recruitment of students. He arranged most of the songs the group performed and produced at least three albums, often using his own compositions and providing a solo or two to satisfy the requests of his supporters. Following the Lee Singers trip to Europe under Delton Alford in 1967, Roosevelt was the first to take a Lee music group to the Holy Land and Hawaii, his favorite performance destinations.
In a particularly fortuitous outcome of his responsibilities with the radio broadcast, Roosevelt teamed with Radio Program Manager Bennie Triplett and National Sunday School and Youth Director Don Aultman to form what became one of the most well-loved and musically accomplished singing groups of its time, the Forward in Faith Trio—ultimately called the Ministers Trio. Bennie Triplett, the award-winning radio speaker and widely-recognized composer sang lead. Don Aultman, a charismatic speaker, administrator, and writer, provided a warm baritone and played piano for the trio. The three blended voices, personalities, and ministries combined in a way that brought them significant recognition and appreciation. Their recordings and public appearances introduced many of Roosevelt’s songs to a broader audience. Records indicate that he wrote approximately 90 songs which were published in over 40 songbooks. Some of his best-known are found on recordings with the Ministers Trio, Ladies of Lee, and his own solo recordings, along with recordings by other artists. His admirers will remember “Stretch Forth Thy Hand,” “Let Brotherly Love Continue,” and “Closer to Thee.”
Roosevelt remained one of Lee’s most active and successful recruiters from the time he arrived on campus. His travels with the Ministers Trio, Ladies of Lee, singing schools, and solo appearances at major religious conferences across the nation provided the platform he needed to tell about the school he loved. And Lee loved him in return. In 1982, Lee College conferred upon him the honorary doctorate of sacred music. His untimely death in May of 1986 came within just a few weeks of his retirement. In every commissioning service at Lee, while graduates receive their personal Bible, signed by President Paul Conn, they hear the strains of Roosevelt Miller’s best-loved song, “I Will Follow Thee,” coming from the keyboard, and Roosevelt’s legacy continues to inspire commitment and bolster confidence as the graduate steps into the next chapter of life.
/ J.W. Burns
The following biographical sketch was written Dr. Jim W. Burns for the Spring 2011 issue of the Lee University Torch.
Roosevelt Miller possessed the heart of David, the worshiping musician. When the unstable economy of a Depression Era mill village sometimes left the young Roosevelt with no shoes to wear to school on an unsympathetic winter day, Roosevelt responded with music. He taught himself to play piano, accordion, guitar, and harmonica and lifted the spirits of the Landis, North Carolina, Church of God as surely as David’s harp dispelled King Saul’s spirit of depression. He absorbed instruction in the rudiments from itinerant purveyors of shape-note music. By the time he entered his teens, he accepted invitations to sing at revivals and area concerts, and he found that his singing and playing the guitar with its harness-attached harmonica brought struggling congregations into the presence of the Lord, gave them joy, and made him countless friends.
When World War II interrupted his music studies at the Bible Training School in Sevierville, Roosevelt again responded with music. He entertained seasick and homesick soldiers aboard the S.S. Simmonds on the way to the fighting fields, and he led inspirational music as a chaplain’s assistant in the midst of perilous duty in France and Germany.
After the war, his distinctive high-tenor voice brought offers to perform with the Vaughn Quartet, Smile Awhiles and other notable gospel groups. He found that the traveling lifestyle of the quartets didn’t compare favorably with the stable family life now offered by marriage to his bride, Polly Johnson Miller (1920-2010). Two daughters, Beverly and Sondra, rounded out his family.
He took his first appointment as music minister in Laurens, South Carolina, later serving with Ray Hughes Sr. in North Chattanooga. Their careers continued to intertwine, including times when Hughes served as radio speaker, president of Lee, and general overseer of the Church of God. Roosevelt also ministered at the Tremont Avenue Church of God in Greenville, South Carolina—the largest church in the denomination at the time.
Ever the teacher, Roosevelt Miller taught scores of singing schools, much of the time using the tradition honored shape-notes associated with Southern Gospel music. To enhance his teaching, he compiled a manual of basic music theory, and he prepared a booklet to utilize in teaching vocal technique at these sessions. His humor and high energy made him a favorite on the singing school circuit.
By 1952, Roosevelt’s reputation as a performer, teacher, conductor, and music minister brought him to the attention of R. Leonard Carroll, president of Lee College. Though Roosevelt at first declined an invitation to teach at the collegiate level, citing his lack of a degree, President Carroll convinced him that the numerous music courses completed at various institutions, along with his demonstrated performance skills, would qualify him to offer elective music studies at Lee. In the meantime, he encouraged Roosevelt to study at the University of Chattanooga (now University of Tennessee at Chattanooga). This Roosevelt did, and eventually completed a bachelor’s degree from UC and a master’s from Bob Jones University. Hundreds of outstanding singers and music ministers came through his voice studio and classes at Lee. He became well-known for his ability to assist professional performers with ailing voices to regain vocal health through good vocal practices.
Roosevelt maintained an active solo career throughout his ministry. It is said that one who never heard him sing, “When They Ring Those Golden Bells” never really heard it sung. He was unquestionably one of the finest interpreters of the gospel song of his generation. Every song he sang became his own. Vocal enthusiasts recognized his unusually broad range (he could vocalize a full three octaves, from high C to low C). His beautiful voice was heard on the nationally-broadcast Forward in Faith radio program for over two decades.
In 1968, Roosevelt assumed the role of director of the ladies choral ensemble begun by Mary Morris at Lee, renaming them the “Ladies of Lee.” He was particularly pleased to have this additional outlet for recruitment of students. He arranged most of the songs the group performed and produced at least three albums, often using his own compositions and providing a solo or two to satisfy the requests of his supporters. Following the Lee Singers trip to Europe under Delton Alford in 1967, Roosevelt was the first to take a Lee music group to the Holy Land and Hawaii, his favorite performance destinations.
In a particularly fortuitous outcome of his responsibilities with the radio broadcast, Roosevelt teamed with Radio Program Manager Bennie Triplett and National Sunday School and Youth Director Don Aultman to form what became one of the most well-loved and musically accomplished singing groups of its time, the Forward in Faith Trio—ultimately called the Ministers Trio. Bennie Triplett, the award-winning radio speaker and widely-recognized composer sang lead. Don Aultman, a charismatic speaker, administrator, and writer, provided a warm baritone and played piano for the trio. The three blended voices, personalities, and ministries combined in a way that brought them significant recognition and appreciation. Their recordings and public appearances introduced many of Roosevelt’s songs to a broader audience. Records indicate that he wrote approximately 90 songs which were published in over 40 songbooks. Some of his best-known are found on recordings with the Ministers Trio, Ladies of Lee, and his own solo recordings, along with recordings by other artists. His admirers will remember “Stretch Forth Thy Hand,” “Let Brotherly Love Continue,” and “Closer to Thee.”
Roosevelt remained one of Lee’s most active and successful recruiters from the time he arrived on campus. His travels with the Ministers Trio, Ladies of Lee, singing schools, and solo appearances at major religious conferences across the nation provided the platform he needed to tell about the school he loved. And Lee loved him in return. In 1982, Lee College conferred upon him the honorary doctorate of sacred music. His untimely death in May of 1986 came within just a few weeks of his retirement. In every commissioning service at Lee, while graduates receive their personal Bible, signed by President Paul Conn, they hear the strains of Roosevelt Miller’s best-loved song, “I Will Follow Thee,” coming from the keyboard, and Roosevelt’s legacy continues to inspire commitment and bolster confidence as the graduate steps into the next chapter of life.
/ J.W. Burns