MILLIS, JOHN SCHOFF. (22 Nov. 1903-1 Jan. 1988), president of WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY (1949-67), strengthened its teaching of sciences and centralized university services and faculty.
Millis was born in Palo Alto, CA, the son of Alice Schoff and Harry Alvin Millis, an economics professor. Millis attended Hyde Park High School (1917-18) and graduated from University High School (1920), both in Chicago. He received three degrees from the University of Chicago: BS (1924), MS (1927), and a Ph.D.in physics (1931). Before coming to Cleveland, among other positions, Millis served as dean of Lawrence College in WI (1936-41) and as President of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College (1941-49).
In Cleveland, Millis helped organize the University Circle Development Foundation, predecessor to UNIVERSITY CIRCLE, INC. Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University federated during his last year as WRU president (1967). Millis served as Chancellor of the new CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY. He retired on 30 June 1969, becoming Chancellor Emeritus. Millis served on the boards of the National League for Nursing (1958-63) and the Carnegie Endowment for the Advancement of Teaching (executive commitee, 1952-58; chair, 1962). Locally, Millis belonged to the ACADEMY OF MEDICINE OF CLEVELAND and served on the board of UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS and the Advisory Council of the CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART, among other activities.
On 13 June 1929, Millis married Katherine Roseberry Wisner of Baltimore, MD; they had three children, Jean Ann (Mrs. Robert G.) Gilpin, Alice G. Vest, and Harry Ward Millis. Millis won the prestigious Frank H. Lahey Memorial Award (1973) from the National Fund for Medical Education, in recognition for his work with the Citizen's Commission on Graduate Medical Education of the American Medical Association (chair, 1966) and the National Fund for Medical Education (president, 1971-77, vice-president, 1969-71). Millis held 14 honorary degrees. A Republican and a pianist, he was a also licensed lay reader and preacher at ST. PAUL'S EPSICOPAL CHURCH. He died in his CLEVELAND HEIGHTS home.