Honoring Prominent Figures in Campus History: Clifton M. Miller Library
The Clifton M. Miller Library was built in 1970 on the location of the old Cain Gym. Before this, the library had been located in several different buildings.
There is very little mentioned about the first library location, but it was most likely
destroyed with the rest of the structure in the fire of 1827. In 1844 the 
library occupied rooms in Middle Hall before being moved to the second floor of William
Smith Hall. Sadly, once again fire destroyed the library and all of William Smith
Hall in 1916. Universities around the Eastern Seaboard and private individuals donated
materials from their libraries to help rebuild ours. The library stayed in the basement
of the rebuilt Willian Smith Hall until 1940 when it received its own building, George
A. Bunting Library. Many of our older books still have the Bunting bookplates. In
the 1960s the college was 
expanding enrollment and the Chairman of the Development Committee of the Board of
Visitors & Governors; Clifton M. Miller first announced an addition to Bunting. Still,
it was later determined that this wasn’t feasible, and a new site was decided upon.
Between 1968 and 1970 the old Cain Gym was demolished, and the new library was built.
Students even helped move the books from Bunting to the new building by walking stacks
of books along campus. The dedication took place on May 8, 1971, and the portrait
of Miller is still on display in the information commons area of the library.
Clifton M. Miller passed, in the summer of 1968, before the library project was completed. Clifton McPherson Miller was born in Missoula County, Montana in 1892. He graduated from Stanford University in California and went into investment banking with interests in both California and New York. Miller also served as the Director of the General Dynamics Corporation. After settling in Chestertown Clifton served on the Board of Visitors & Governors from 1951, and as chairman from 1963-1968. A supporter and fundraiser of the college he passed this down to his children, his son, Duncan Miller, was also a friend to the college. After the 2012 renovation of Miller Library, Duncan’s portrait was also put on display near that of his father.
You can see the history of the library at Washington College on our Digital Archive.
