March 9

G. William Miller Born in Sapulpa

192520th CenturyEconomicsBorn OnNorth America

Summary

George William Miller was born on March 9, 1925, in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and grew up largely in Borger, Texas. He graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1945, served as a Coast Guard officer, and later earned a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Miller joined the industrial conglomerate Textron and eventually became its chief executive and chairman. President Jimmy Carter nominated him to chair the Federal Reserve Board, and Miller served as Federal Reserve chairman from March 1978 until August 1979, a period marked by serious inflation and economic uncertainty. Carter then appointed him secretary of the Treasury, a position he held through the end of the administration in January 1981. His Treasury tenure included work on inflation, federal economic policy, the Chrysler loan-guarantee program, and financial issues arising from the Iran hostage crisis. Miller remains unusual for having led both the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department.

Why It Matters

Miller is the only person to have served both as chair of the Federal Reserve and as U.S. secretary of the Treasury. His short Federal Reserve tenure and subsequent move to Treasury occurred during a period of severe inflation, energy shocks, and monetary-policy debate. His career also stands out because he entered central banking after extensive experience in corporate management rather than an academic or banking career.

  • US Military Atlas: A related profile connecting G. William Miller with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and his government career.

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Sources

  1. G. William Miller: A Guide to His Papers at the Jimmy Carter Library, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Accessed 2026-08-25.
  2. Nomination of G. William Miller, United States Senate Committee on Finance. Accessed 2026-08-25.
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