Ronald Miller was born on the 24th August 1910 , son of John Robert Miller and Georgina Park. In 1940 he married Constance Mary Phillips and had one son and one daughter. He was educated at North Queensferry, Fife, then at Stromness Academy. He went on to study at the University of Edinburgh where he obtained a First Class Honours in Geography in 1931. In 1933 he obtained his PhD, after gaining a Carnegie Research Fellowship at the Marine Laboratory of the Scottish Home Department, Aberdeen. He then taught geography as an assistant lecturer under Professor H J Fleure at Manchester University.
In 1936 he took advantage of the Nigerian Government's education scheme and worked as an Education Officer for 10 years. For the five years during the war Ronald Miller served with the Nigerian Regiment, he was called up from the Supplementary Reserve and was raised to a staff captain, "A" Branch. In 1947 he returned to Scotland and lectured at Edinburgh University. Then in 1953 he joined the Geography Department at Glasgow University where he remained until 1976 . Professor Miller was also a Guest Lecturer at the following Universities: the University of Montpellier, 1957: the University of Oslo and Handelshøyskole Bergen, 1966: Simon Fraser University, 1967. After retiring Professor Miller moved to Orkney, and in 1978 he became a member of the Orkney Island council. His publications include (with McNair) Livingston's Travels; The Travels of Mungo Park; (with Tivy) ed. The Glasgow Region, (1958); (with Watson) Ogilvie Essays, (1959); Africa, (1967); Orkney, (1976). Ronald Miller died on the 10 August 1990 . Source: Who's Who, (1981, London), The College courant, 11, (1953, Glasgow)
From the guide to the Papers of Ronald Miller, geographer, Professor of Geography, 1953-1976, University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1930-1977, (Glasgow University Archives Service)
