| Family History Researcher |
- From Penelope Miller Genealogy;
Name: Gerald Louis Miller (born Brillion, WI, in 1942)
Elementary School: St. Mary's School (completed in 1956)
High School: Brillion High School (graduated in 1960)College: Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, (graduated with B.A. in Poli tical Science, 1964); Marquette University Law School, (graduated with J.D ., 1975)Education value: Education was emphasized by example growing up in Gerald 's family. He and his siblings were motivated to get good grades a nd go to college by an uncle who was a physician and another who was a pri est. In addition, Gerald and his brothers did not want to be farmers li ke their parents, grandparents, and uncles had done before them. Farming w as very hard work with few financial rewards. His parents encouraged him h im to study hard and advance himself by achieving excellence in educatio n. Gerald did, and he hopes to have imparted similar ideas in his own chil dren.Growing up in Brillion, a small farming town in WI, Gerald aspired to atte nd college. College was thought to be the key that would open many more do ors to opportunity in life. After graduating from Marquette Universit y, he entered the Marine Corps and served as an officer for 30 years. Th is service gave additional educational opportunities to Gerald and his fam ily. He moved 22 times across the United States, Hawaii, and Japan, with h is wife, Lynn, and almost 17 times included their three children, Peter, P enelope, and Paige. The Marine Corps offered Gerald an additional five yea rs of formal education: he attended military schools in flight training, m ilitary strategy tactics, leadership, and law. He also received his law de gree after attending an additional three years in Marquette University L aw School. Serving in the Marine Corps has also allowed Gerald the opportu nity to travel, to gain invaluable leadership and management skills, to pr actice law, to become a fighter jet pilot, and to serve and protect his co untry both in battle (he received a Purple Heart and other medals for brav ery in the Vietnam War) and times of domestic tranquility. He greatly valu es the "people skills" he gained serving as a United States Marine office r, and he utilizes them today serving a new position as the Director of Re search for ATLA, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, in Georgetow n, Washington, D.C.
Gerald explains that the Marine Corps takes lots of young, raw recruits a nd teaches them to become responsible citizens working for their country w ith a strong desire to be patriotic and loyal. As a result of his life-lo ng pursuits of learning in life, Gerald views education, whether form al or informal, as absolutely essential not only to gain an understandi ng of the world but to achieve success in life.
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