Former Gadsden State Director Honored

Jan 21, 2017

Dr. Robert C. Miller, Director of the School of Court Reporting at Gadsden State Community College from 1974 to 1981, was honored at a reunion of former students held Saturday, October 22, 2016, at the historic McVille Manor in Huntsville.  Also present were former instructors Marie Singly Whitaker and Terri Towe.  In addition to teaching the steno keyboard to the freshman class, Mrs. Whitaker was married to the late John Riley Whitaker, beloved coach at Gadsden State.

McVille Manor is a historic farmhouse built in 1814, enlarged following the Civil War, and designated an Alabama Century and Heritage Farm.  Owned and maintained by descendant Marguerite Ellison, great-great granddaughter of the original builder, it maintains its original furnishings and serves as a reception/event location.  Ellison, a graduate of the School of Court Reporting, arranged the gathering as a tribute to the retired instructor and his students.

After leaving Gadsden in 1981, Miller moved to California and earned his juris doctorate.  He worked as a professor and also as an editor for Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich. He makes his home now in Wallace, Idaho, with his wife Anne.  Miller was met at the Birmingham airport by his former students Sally Nesmith Gunter and Trina Stimpson Tallent.  He spent several days in the area visiting with his daughter and three grandchildren.  Marie Whitaker’s granddaughter, a current student at Gadsden State, also reported that the legendary instructor had dropped in for a firsthand look at the court reporting school.

Margo Ellison commented, “I have felt for some time that court reporting as a profession and especially the training we had through Bob Miller was such an asset for a challenging and rewarding job in the field, and getting the chance to reconnect with all of our fellow classmates who have been successful in their fields was an incredible honor.”

Photo by Nathan Ellison:
Terri Towe, Sally Rossmann, Randall Murphree, Marie Whitaker, Laura Hood Nichols, Robert C. “Bob” Miller, Debbie Amos Isbell, Roy Isbell,, Marilyn Crowley Fricke, Donna Andrews, Marguerite Ellison, Patricia Wright Yarbrough.  Not pictured:   Marge Farley & Virginia Wilson Flowers