Julius Miller (January 12, 1880 – February 3, 1955) was a judge and politician in New York City. He was a public figure for four decades, serving as

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

Borough President from 1922 to 1930, and as a New York State Supreme Court judge from 1933 to 1950. He is best remembered for pushing through the

West Side Elevated Highway The West Side Elevated Highway (West Side Highway or Miller Highway, named for Julius Miller, Manhattan borough president from 1922 to 1930) was an elevated section of New York State Route 9A (NY 9A) running along the Hudson River in the New Y ...

from 72nd Street to the tip of Manhattan.

Career

He graduated from

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private, American law school in the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The third oldest law school in New York City, its history predates its official founding in 1891 by Theodore William Dwight, T ...

and became an attorney in 1901. Miller was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

(17th D.) in

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...

and

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...

. He was borough president of

from 1922 to 1930. In 1924 he was an alternate delegate to the

1924 Democratic National Convention The 1924 Democratic National Convention, held at the Madison Square Garden (1890), Madison Square Garden in New York City from June 24 to July 9, 1924, was the longest continuously running convention in United States political history. It took ...

. In 1933 he became a justice of the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...

(1st D.), and served until 1950. As borough president, he promoted the construction of the

Park Avenue Viaduct The Park Avenue Viaduct, also known as the Pershing Square Viaduct, is a roadway in Manhattan, New York City. It carries vehicular traffic on Park Avenue from 40th to 46th Streets. The viaduct is composed of two sections: a steel viaduct ...

through the New York Central Building and around

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal station, terminal located at 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York Ci ...

, the establishment of the center strip on

Park Avenue Park Avenue is a boulevard in New York City that carries north and southbound traffic in the borough (New York City), boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the wes ...

, and the replacing of the Sixth Avenue elevated train. As a judge, Miller claimed the distinction of never having been reversed by an appellate court on any of the cases in equity where he decided suits without a jury. This was believed to be unique among New York jurists. Upon retirement, he was replaced by Justice Samuel Gold. Helmsley Building Roadway Plaque

In 1930, Miller received

The Hundred Year Association of New York The Hundred Year Association of New York, founded in 1927, is a non-profit organization in New York City that recognizes and rewards dedication and service to the City of New York by businesses and organizations that have been in operation in the ...

's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York."

Later Life

Miller was Jewish. Miller had a summer home in Far Rockaway, which later was incorporated into the campuses of two Orthodox Jewish schools, the Hebrew Institute of Long Island and Yeshiva Darchei Torah. The New York Daily News listed him as deceased three years before his death. Miller retired in 1950, and died at his home in New York City on February 3, 1955.Long Island Newsday
Newsday Obits February 1955
, Obituary, Julius Miller, transcribed by Terasa Ahlgren His funeral was attended by over 400 people.

Legacy

New York Route 9A, the "

West Side Highway The Joe DiMaggio Highway, commonly called the West Side Highway and formerly the Miller Highway, is a mostly surface section of New York State Route 9A (NY 9A), running from 72nd Street (Manhattan), West 72nd Street along the Hudso ...

," is the direct replacement for the Miller Highway ("West Side Elevated Highway") that was named after Julius Miller. Miller was instrumental in finishing the

, an elevated stretch of Manhattan's Park Avenue that carries vehicles around and through buildings that sit on the normal path of the roadbed. The Park Avenue Viaduct remains in use , and is designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

References

External links

Newsday February 4, 1955
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Julius 1880 births 1955 deaths New York Law School alumni New York (state) lawyers Manhattan borough presidents Democratic Party New York (state) state senators New York Supreme Court justices 20th-century New York state court judges 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature