Quentin Miller

At Black Mountain

Quentin Kyles Miller studied voice and piano in the summer of 1947. Quentin and his wife lived in Asheville, so they did not stay on campus while attending, nor did they plan to stay beyond the summer session.

He shared that he wanted to learn the development of keyboard technique to prepare for “the teaching of piano technique.” In an evaluation from his German course, Frank A Rice wrote, “Perhaps he was diffident in class because he was a Negro in an entirely white group. He was naturally not subject to any kind of discrimination, but the situation was probably not usual for him. He is a quiet serious person and a distinct addition to my class.”

Doris wrote a letter to the college on June 30, 1947 stating that Quentin would no longer be able to attend but thanked the college for allowing her to stay.

Career

Quentin would go on to teach in Asheville and served as Principal of Newton, Claxton, and Randolph elementary schools. He was the first person of color to be appointed as Assistant Superintendent to Asheville Schools. He continued to teach and perform music as a band director and co-founder of the Reynolds-Miller Men’s Chorale, in addition to singing and playing organ at St. Matthias Church. His grandfather, James Vester Miller, whose mother Louisa Miller was enslaved at the time of his birth, was a renowned craftsman, contractor, and teacher whose work can be seen in the Asheville Municipal Building, Hopkins Chapel, Mount Zion and Saint Matthias churches, among many others.

He was a mentor and a community leader at the YMI Cultural Center and founded Miller & Sons Construction. Miller’s son, physician Dr. L.O. Miller was a prominent member of the AVL community and founder of Violet Hills Cemetery, a historic resting place for the Black community that is still maintained by the family today. Quentin attended Stephens-Lee High School, an all black high school in Asheville, where the college held regular performances with the drama department.

Biography written by Amanda Hartman.

Relationships

Wife: Fellow BMC student, Doris Miller