Jerry
Miller's teachers at a Minneapolis school for the mentally retarded in the 1950s
suggested he might make a good bricklayer or maybe a carpenter.
Miller,
son of Greek and Norwegian immigrants and afflicted with dyslexia, never took
that advice.
Instead,
he took his abilities and a fascination with radio and built a Hall Of Fame career
out of it.
Miller,
65, was inducted into the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in ceremonies on Oct. 18.
Chief
engineer at WCCO for 32 years, the Eden Prairie resident proudly entered the Minnesota
Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
"It was a heck of a nice honor," Miller said.
Miller's
father emigrated from Corinth, Greece, stowing away on a ship for America to begin
life in a land full of opportunities.
His
mother, from Norway, came to the United States from Canada. Miller's inability
to read or spell because of dyslexia landed him in a school for the mentally retarded,
not an uncommon occurrence 60 years ago.
There
was a silver lining in the clouds, however.
"The
only thing in my house that spoke clear English was the radio," Miller said.
"That
was a fascination, that was magical. Those voices that came out of that box in
the 1940s.
‘The
Theater of the Mind,' ‘The Lone Ranger,' ‘Hopalong Cassidy.' I thought, ‘Are there
people inside there?'"
Miller
took a class in radio at a Minneapolis vocational school in 1953 and was off and
running.
"They
(his teachers) said ‘Jerome certainly isn't college material,' and there was some
doubt about the radio class because there was a lot of math involved," Miller
remembered.
"But
I knew I could do it. You see in math, there are no silent letters.
If
you work the formula, you get the right answer."
Miller
spent a career working the formula and gaining the right answer.
"I
did have the right attitude," Miller said. "Attitude played a big part. You have
to try, to seek, to find a way to conquer the handicap."
Miller
began his broadcasting career in 1954 as a studio-recording technician for the
Minneapolis school system, which is now KBEM FM.
He
worked as a broadcasting engineer at WMIN from 1956 to 1959 and at WLOL from 1959
to 1963.
In
1959, his dream job opened and he joined WCCO-AM radio to work for the legendary
radio station for 32 years.
As
chief engineer at WCCO, he was responsible for its high technical standards, and
built the nation's first touch-screen automation system.
His
favorite part of broadcasting wasn't the nuts and bolts or technological wizardry.
"It was
the ability to reach out and connect to the community," Miller said.
Broadcasting
and radio technology today is very different than it was when he was first starting
out.
But
one thing that hasn't changed is what Miller sees as radio's chief virtue.
"With all the changes in technology, the one thing that hasn't changed is what
radio is good at," Miller said.
"And
that's connecting to the local people. Connecting to friends, neighbors, community.
That's what it is all about. It's the same with the Internet. We can surf the
World Wide Web, but we still live in this local environment."
Miller
served in the Air National Guard for six years, specializing in nuclear weapons
and avionics.
He
is a private pilot and amateur radio enthusiast.
He
also contributed to the early days of public television at KTCA.
After
his retirement from WCCO in 1996, Miller began doing alternative inspections for
radio and television stations in 11 states, benefiting stations with his skills
in engineering and teaching.
His
career path has taken him from crystals, tubes and transistors, to integrated
circuits, computers and satellites.
During
his career, Miller carried the message that broadcasting is a good place to work
and to grow, and championed the combination of competition, good citizenship,
business acumen and ethics.
Miller
won the coveted Broadcaster of the Year Award for 2003 at the South Dakota Broadcasters
Association Annual Convention.
The
award is given to a broadcaster each year for distinction in community service.
Miller
has lived in Eden Prairie for 31 years, building the home he still lives in on
Topview Road.
By
John Molene.
Oct
2003.
Original
story.
With
many thanks to the excellent Eden
Prairie News.
