John Donald Millar (February 27, 1934 – August 30, 2015) was a physician and public health administrator who rose to prominence as the director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health from 1981 through 1993.
Education
Donald Millar was born February 27, 1934, in Newport News, Virginia, to Dorothea (née Smith) and John Millar. Donald attended the
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approxim ...
, earning a B.S. in chemistry in 1956. He continued his education at the
Medical College of Virginia. In 1957, he married Joan Phillips and two years later he completed his M.D. He completed his residency at the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...
in Salt Lake City.
Millar began working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1961. Beginning in 1963 he directed CDC's Smallpox Eradication Program and its predecessors, an effort he led until 1970. In 1966, he was awarded a D.T.P.H. (Lond.)—a degree equivalent to a Master's of Public Health degree in the United States—from the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public university, public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a constituent college, member institution of the University of London that specialises in public hea ...
.
Early career
Millar began working for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health under then-director
John Finklea. Finklea was the Institute's second director. Since taking over the head spot in 1975 from Dr.
Marcus M. Key, Finklea had tried to change the Institute's direction, taking a more aggressive approach than Key had. Finklea began to feel pressure to resign from stakeholders inside and outside of the organization. He resigned abruptly in March, 1978, which left Millar as NIOSH's acting director. Millar held the post, sorting out conflicts within the Institute, until Anthony Robbins was appointed director 1979. Following Robbins's appointment, Millar was hired as the director of the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH). He served in that capacity until Robbins resigned in 1981. Millar was appointed in his place as director of NIOSH, a position he held until 1993.
NIOSH Director
In his more than decade as director of NIOSH, Millar established the Institute as a mature organization. He expanded NIOSH's focus beyond chemical hazards, an area which had consumed the attention of his predecessors. He led studies concerning such varied topics as
vibration syndrome (caused by vibrating tools such as pneumatic hammers and gasoline chain saws);
electrocution
Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death.
The term "electrocution" was coined ...
from metal ladders being too near power lines; and occupational fatalities in
confined spaces. His approach to occupational safety was typified by his manner of addressing tractor rollovers, which he referred to as an "occupational obscenity". He advocated the use of a
rollover protective structure (ROPS) on every tractor in use, saying, "There is no scientific excuse for the persistence of this problem. This is something we know how to prevent".
In addition to his work at NIOSH, Millar chaired the executive committee of the
National Toxicology Program
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is an inter-agency program run by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate, evaluate, and report on toxicology within public agencies.
The National Toxicology Program is head ...
(NTP) from 1989 to 1993. He maintained an adjunct professorship of occupational and environmental health at the
Rollins School of Public Health at
Emory University
Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...
in Atlanta (1988–1998). He served on a panel of occupational health experts for the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
, and he continued his efforts to eradicate
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
.
In 1987, he was presented with the
Gorgas Medal from the
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS).
For his work, Dr. Millar has been twice honored with the
Distinguished Service Medal (1983 and 1989), highest honor bestowed by the
United States Public Health Service
The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services which manages public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The assistant s ...
. He was named Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Royal College of Physicians, London (U.K.). He received the
William S. Knudsen Award from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine for "outstanding contributions to occupational medicine." In 1993, Millar was given the
William Steiger Memorial Award from the
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is a professional association of industrial hygienists and practitioners of related professions, with headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of its goals is to advance worker pr ...
, the Health Watch Award for "outstanding contributions toward improving the health of minority populations", and the
Surgeon General's Medallion for "exceptional skill and fortitude."
Workplace health consultant
Millar retired from NIOSH and the US Public Health Service with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1993, turning his directorship over to
Linda Rosenstock. He started a consulting company in 1993, Don Millar & Associates, Inc., in Murrayville, GA. As president of the company, Millar provided his services in the occupational and environmental health industry. He chaired several scientific panels and workshops, and served as vice chairman of the
Public Health Policy Advisory Board (PHPAB), a Washington "think-tank" fostering science-based public health policy. He also served on editorial and advisory boards of the
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
The ''American Journal of Industrial Medicine'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering occupational safety and health, as well as environmental health. It was established in 1980 and is published by Wiley-Blackwell. The editor-in-chief ...
, the
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and the
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.
Personal
Millar was an accomplished musician who was part of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, Gainesville, GA; the Truett-Mcconnell College Wind Symphony; and the Toccoa Symphony Orchestra. He enjoyed sailing and was an amateur Civil War historian. He and Joan had three children.
He died of kidney failure on August 30, 2015.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Millar, J. Donald
1934 births
2015 deaths
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
University of Richmond alumni
Medical College of Virginia alumni
University of Utah School of Medicine alumni
Alumni of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
American public health doctors
Emory University faculty
United States Navy rear admirals (upper half)