Ronald Bruce Miller (19 October 1922 – 23 January 2022) was a New Zealand soil chemist and scientific administrator. He rose to become director of the

Soil Bureau New Zealand Soil Bureau (1936-1992 ) was a division of the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research specializing in soil-related research and development. Originally formed as ...

in 1973, and later served as chief director of the

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR was the name of several British Empire organisations founded after the 1923 Imperial Conference to foster intra-Empire trade and development. * Department of Scientific and Industria ...

Early life and family

Born in

Kaikōura Kaikōura (; ) is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, located on New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway 1, north of Christchurch. The town has an estimated permanent resident population of as of . Kaikōura is th ...

on 19 October 1922, Miller was the son of Ronald Miller, a Presbyterian minister, and Jessie Miller (née McGregor). He was educated at Manaia District High School in South Taranaki and

Palmerston North Boys' High School Palmerston North Boys' High School is a secondary Day school, day and Boarding school, boarding school for boys founded in 1902. It is located in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Location Palmerston North Boys' High School has a campus located on ...

, and went on to study at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

, graduating

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

with third-class honours in 1945, and

Victoria University College Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...

, earning a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree in 1949. He undertook postgraduate study at the

Royal Agricultural College The Royal Agricultural University (RAU), formerly the Royal Agricultural College, is a public university in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English-speaking world. ...

in Sweden. On 26 February 1955, Miller married Nina Rae McLaughlin, and the couple went on to have four children.

Career

Miller was a soil scientist at the

from 1945, rising to become a section leader in 1971, and director in 1973. He later served as chief director of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the

1984 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1984 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countri ...

. In 1990, he was awarded the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to 3,632 people. Background The New Zealand 1990 Com ...

. From 1968 to 1969, Miller was an André Meyer Fellow at the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

in Rome. He served on the council of the New Zealand Society of Soil Science from 1953 to 1974, and was president of the organisation from 1966 to 1968. He was a council member of the International Society of Soil Science in 1974, and was a Fellow of the

New Zealand Institute of Chemistry The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) was founded in 1931 and is the professional membership organisation for professionals working in the field of chemistry across the education and industry sectors in New Zealand. It is organised into ...

. He was a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand (CRSNZ)

Royal Society Te Apārangi The Royal Society Te Apārangi (in full, Royal Society of New Zealand) is a not-for-profit body in New Zealand providing funding and policy advice in the fields of sciences and the humanities. These fundings (i.e., Marsden grants and research fe ...

. Miller was a member of the Wairarapa Catchment Board from 1973 to 1982, and served on the Water Resources Council between 1978 and 1982. He was an elder of the Ngaio Union Church from 1957, and a board member of Presbyterian Support Services from 1988 to 1991. He was also a member of the advisory committee of the Stout Trust, a philanthropic charitable trust, from 1983. Miller died in

Waikanae Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kāpiti Coast, north of the Wellington, New Zealand. The name is a Māori language, Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the flathead grey mullet, grey mullet". The area surrounding the town is notable fo ...

on 23 January 2022, at the age of 99. His wife, Rae Miller, died a few months later, on 16 June 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Bruce 1922 births 2022 deaths People from Kaikōura People educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School University of Otago alumni Victoria University of Wellington alumni New Zealand soil scientists New Zealand chemists People associated with Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand) Fellows of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Royal Society of New Zealand