Alvenia Barnette Miller (December 1, 1875 – April 23, 1956) was an American writer and educator. She taught history at

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

, and wrote mostly about Turkey, including a book, ''Beyond the Sublime Porte'' (1931). She left over $100,000 to Wellesley College in her will.

Early life and education

Miller was born in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

and raised in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

, the daughter of James Meek Miller and Jane Baxter Davidson Miller. She had a brother, Brevard Davidson Miller. She graduated from the North Carolina College for Women in 1895. She earned a master's degree from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1903, and completed doctoral studies in history in 1909, also at Columbia. She pursued further studies at the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

and at Hartford Theological Seminary. She was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

Career

Miller was a "hearer" in English and French at

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh language, Welsh: ) is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as a ...

from 1900 to 1901. She taught at

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States. It is the oldest member of the h ...

from 1903 to 1904, at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

from 1908 to 1909, and at

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

from 1915 to 1916. She taught English and history at the Constantinople College for Women from 1909 to 1913, and from 1916 to 1919. She joined the history faculty of Wellesley College in 1920, became a full professor in 1935, and retired with emeritus status in 1943. Miller was described as "the first foreigner whom the

Ottoman government The Ottoman Empire developed over the years as a despotism with the Sultan as the supreme ruler of a centralized government that had an effective control of its provinces, officials and inhabitants. Wealth and rank could be inherited but were ...

permitted to enter the harem of Seraglio Palace". She was a fellow of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

, and a member of the

Foreign Policy Association The Foreign Policy Association (FPA, formerly known as the League of Free Nations Association) is an American non-profit foreign policy organization. According to the FPA, the organization aims to spread global awareness and understanding of US f ...

's committee on the

Lausanne Treaty The Treaty of Lausanne (, ) is a peace treaty negotiated during the Lausanne Conference of 1922–1923 and signed in the Palais de Rumine in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 July 1923. The treaty officially resolved the conflict that had initially ...

Publications

Miller's ''Beyond the Sublime Porte'' (1931) was reviewed in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' as "an important and scholarly book''.'' * "

Thomas Lovell Beddoes Thomas Lovell Beddoes (30 June 1803 – 26 January 1849) was an English poet, dramatist and physician. Biography Born in Clifton, Bristol, England, he was the son of Dr. Thomas Beddoes, a friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Anna, sister ...

" (1903) * ''

Leigh Hunt James Henry Leigh Hunt (19 October 178428 August 1859), best known as Leigh Hunt, was an English critic, essayist and poet. Hunt co-founded '' The Examiner'', a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles. He was the centre ...

's relations with Byron, Shelley, and Keats'' (1910) * "The Passing of the Turkish Harem" (1920) * "The New Turkey" (1923) * ''Beyond the Sublime Porte: The Grand Seraglio of Stambul'' (1931, with introduction by Halidé Ebib) * ''The Palace School of Muhammad the Conqueror'' (1941)

Personal life and legacy

Miller died in 1956, at the age of 80, at a nursing home in South Natick, Massachusetts. She left Wellesley College over $100,000 in her will, establishing the Barnette Miller Foundation. to support scholarships, professorships, and conferences on international relations at Wellesley College.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Barnette 1875 births 1956 deaths Writers from Charlotte, North Carolina Wellesley College faculty American women writers American educators Columbia University alumni University of North Carolina at Greensboro alumni