Duplex Advertising Company

• 1925: Duplex Advertising founded by R. V. Miller, Sr. with two partners in Austin, Tex.
• 1925 - 1980s : Duplex Advertising-owned billboards stretched across the central Texas area, from San Marcos to Temple. Involved with the manufacture and installation of electric on-premise signage
• 1960s: The Duplex Advertising Company of Temple, in Temple, Tex., created
• 1970s: The Duplex Electric Signs company created as a separate entity
• 1980: The portion of the business around Austin was sold to the Rollins Outdoor Advertising Company. The Duplex Electric Sign Company was sold to Bajon Signs (Austin, Tex.)
• 1981: R. V. Miller, Jr. bought Duplex Advertising Company of Temple from his father and brother (Will). R. V. Miller, Sr. and Will Miller managed the Duplex Land Company and other family interests
• 1980s - 1990s : Duplex added building new structures and acquiring several companies, including Strasburger Enterprises of Temple, and the eastern inventory of Norwood Outdoor Advertising (covering Killeen, Copperas Cove, Gatesville, and Bosque counties)
• 1990: Will Miller died
• 1993: R. V. Miller, Jr. died
• 1994: Duplex Advertising was operated in trust for Miller's heirs, with R. Keith Johnson as president, and Tom Wicker and Dale Schigut as vice-presidents
• 1998: Duplex Advertising was sold to Advantage Outdoor. Lamar Outdoor Advertising has since acquired Advantage's holdings

R. V. (Bob) Miller, Jr. was born in Austin, Tex. in 1932. He served in the US Navy as a photographer's mate and then attended Texas Techonlogical University where he received a BBA in Advertising and an MBA. He began his career in outdoor advertising at San-Tex Advertising, in San Angelo, Tex. From there, Miller founded and worked with the Duplex Advertising Company in Austin, Duplex Electric Signs, and Duplex Advertising Company in Temple, Tex. He also taught courses in economics, advertising, marketing, and statistics. One of his articles included in the collection addresses the application of advertising realities in the classroom.

From the guide to the Duplex Advertising Company. Billboard Images and Records, circa 1964-1993 and undated, (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)