N. G. Miller
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Name
Norton G. Miller
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Dates
4 Feb 1942 - 7 Dec 2011
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Specialities
Bryophytes
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Roles
Author, Determiner, Collector
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Movement Details
United States of America, Canada
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Notes
Collector Notes: NYS; NWT (1974)
From Flora of North America Newsletter 26(1: 14-15 (2012):
Norton G. Miller
1942–2011
D
r. Norton G. Miller, emeritus curator of bryology
and quaternary paleobotany at the New York State
Museum, died in Syracuse on December 7, 2011 following a 20-year battle with prostate cancer. Norton was
born in Buffalo on February 4, 1942 and completed a
bachelor’s of arts in biology at the University of Buffalo,
now the State University of New York at Buffalo, in
1963, graduating with high distinction in biology.
Growing up in rural western New York, Norton was an
avid outdoorsman learning as much as he could about
the environment around him. As a boy he kept a flock of
bantam hens, roamed the woods with the family dog,
Nipper, became an avid birder, and studied many natural
history subjects with Mabel James, a local naturalist
who was his first mentor. He developed an intense interest in botany leading to lifelong knowledge of many
types of plants. As a teenager, Norton served as Miss
James’ assistant on several of the Buffalo Museum of
Science Conservation Caravans that she led to locales in
the Northeast. During this time he was active in the Boy
Scouts of America, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.
He developed an interest in bryophytes and spent several
summers apprenticing with Dr. Stanley J. Smith, a bryologist at the New York State Museum, in whose footsteps
he would follow several decades later. He graduated from
Holland Central School in 1959. Following completion
of his undergraduate degree, he enrolled in Michigan
State University to pursue a PhD in botany. The topic of
his dissertation, completed in 1969, was glacial and postglacial vegetation change in southwestern New York
State, also published as a New York State Museum
Bulletin. Dr. Miller’s research interests included plant
systematics and floristics, especially of bryophytes and
seed plants; quaternary paleobotany and paleoecology
and the tertiary and quaternary history of the bryophyta.
His field work in these areas led him to explorations
throughout the northern latitudes from New York and
New England to Michigan, Colorado, the west coast,
the southeast, Alaska, Russia, Scandinavia, Scotland,
Iceland, Greenland, Canada and Japan. He authored
more than 100 scholarly publications, gave many presentations, taught a variety of courses at multiple institutions
including Harvard University and the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, collaborated with colleagues throughout the world, provided leadership to
numerous professional organizations, including the
American Bryological and Lichenological Society, and
served on the editorial boards of ten journals. He is
survived by his wife, Heather Swan Miller; son, Dr.
Andrew David Miller and his wife Dr. Allison Miller;
and granddaughter, Natalie Rose Miller. He is also survived by his brother Brandt J. Miller and his wife Lucy
Leighton Miller whom he was visiting at the time of his
death. A celebration of his life may be held in the spring.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the New
York Botanical Garden.
—Published in Albany Times Union, December 30, 2011
The Bryophyte Editorial group regrets the loss of
Norton. He was a long-time associate with FNA, as
taxon editor for Vol. 27, and contributor to Vol. 28. -
Collections