Fishbait Miller

William Moseley "Fishbait" Miller (July 20, 1909 – September 12, 1989) was an American who worked in the United States House of Representatives. He served as Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1953 and again from 1955 to 1974.[1]

William "Fishbait" Miller

Early life

William Moseley Miller was born on July 20, 1909, in Pascagoula, Mississippi to Albert Magnus Miller, a sea captain, and his wife Nettie Maddox.[2] As a child he was nicknamed "Fishbait" for his small stature (he weighed 75 lb (34 kg) at the age of 15), and he was known by this name his entire life.[3][4] Miller worked at the local pharmacy for several years, where he met William Colmer, then a district attorney. Colmer helped him get into Harrison-Stone Junior College, which he attended from 1929 to 1932.[2][5]

Career

Miller began working at the United States House of Representatives in 1933 as a clerk in the House's Post Office.[3] Colmer had offered him the job after being elected to the House.[2] By 1947, he was minority doorkeeper for the House and two years later he was elected to the post of Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives. In this role, he oversaw more than 350 employees and a $3.5 million budget.[5] He served as doorkeeper from 1949 to 1953 and again from 1955 to 1974, and was minority doorkeeper from 1953 to 1955 during the 83rd United States Congress, when the House was controlled by the Republican Party.[3][6][7] When Miller drew office assignments for House members, he was known to sand his fingertips in order to identify the discs he was drawing and ensure that Democratic members received desirable offices.[7]

Miller was known for having a "flamboyant personality and affinity for the public spotlight", for his announcement of "Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States", during the State of the Union speech,[3] and for enforcing traditions of the House.[5] For example, he once told Bella Abzug to remove her hat before entering the chamber.[2] In response, she told Miller to "go fuck yourself".[8] Miller also functioned in the role by escorting visiting foreign dignitaries.[5] A 1950 profile in The New York Times described Miller as "odd-jobs man for his 435 bosses", mentioning that he functioned as "baby-sitter, cigar-lighter, gum-giver and even water boy".[9] He earned $40,000 a year,[10] $2,500 less than a congressperson.[11] In 1951, Miller drew attention for addressing the visiting Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom with the salutation, "Howdy, Ma'am", and greeting her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with "Howdy, suh".[12]

In 1974, Miller faced competition for his job for the first time since 1949.[2][10] He had been increasingly criticized for enjoying attention too much, which "rankled" some members of Congress.[10] On December 2, 1974,[13] he was ousted and replaced by James T. Molloy. Upon leaving the post, Miller remarked, "I have lived a good life, a full life", and, "I have enjoyed every minute of it and as I leave I have no regrets and no axes to grind".[3]

Miller wrote Fishbait: The Memoirs of the Congressional Doorkeeper with Frances Spatz Leighton,[2] which was published in 1977.[5]

Personal life

Miller married Mabel Breeland in 1937. They had one child.[5]

Miller died on September 12, 1989, in Greensboro, North Carolina of a heart attack.[3][6][14][15] The Washington Post described him as an "enthusiastic socializer and an irrepressible dynamo".[5]

References
  1. Joanne Anderson (February 14, 2013). "Pascagoula's 'Fishbait' Miller became a legend on Capitol Hill (Sampling History)". gulflive. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  2. Champagne, Anthony (February 2000). Miller, Fishbait (1909-1989), doorkeeper of the U.S. House of Representatives. 1. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0700497.
  3. "House Doorkeeper William "Fishbait" Miller". US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved December 13, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. "William 'Fish Bait' Miller, 80, Doorkeeper of U.S. House". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  5. Pearson, Richard (September 15, 1989). "Legendary Doorkeeper of the House William 'Fishbait' Miller Dies At 80". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  6. Andrew Glass. "William 'Fishbait' Miller born, July 20, 1909". POLITICO. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  7. "'Fishbait' Miller, Former U.S. House Doorkeeper, Dies". AP NEWS. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  8. Soffer, Jonathan (October 14, 2010). Ed Koch and the Rebuilding of New York City. Columbia University Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-231-52090-4.
  9. "House Doorkeeper Has Many Turns". The New York Times. December 30, 1950. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  10. "Competition May Unhinge 'Fishbait' From House Job". The Miami Herald. November 29, 1974. p. 29. Retrieved December 13, 2020 – via Newspapers.com .
  11. "Fishbait Miller Ousted". Redlands Daily Facts. December 3, 1974. p. 2. Retrieved December 13, 2020 – via Newspapers.com .
  12. ""Fishbait" Handles Royalty With His Customary Poise". The Kansas City Times. Associated Press. November 3, 1951. p. 28. Retrieved December 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com .
  13. Perlstein, Rick (August 5, 2014). The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan. Simon and Schuster. p. 326. ISBN 978-1-4767-8243-0.
  14. "Former House doorkeeper 'Fishbait' Miller dies". UPI. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  15. "William Fish Bait Miller, 80, doorkeeper of..." The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
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