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Jahu Dewitt Miller was born in 1857 in rural New York,  and lived
on his father's farm. When he was 14 years old, he entered the Collegiate Institute at Fort
Edward, N.Y. and after he graduated he became a member of the Faculty. As a
teenager, he taught a wide range of courses at the Institute. He also
held the position of Librarian, and read every book that the Institute owned. By the age of 17, Dewitt Miller began to give lectures and also
preached at the local Methodist church. At this early age, he also began to collect
rare books, a life-long passion. He traveled around New Egland, preaching
and lecturing, and later, he became a reknowned speaker on the Chatauqua circuit. One of
the places he spoke was at Glen Echo, Maryland, which may have been how the Cassedys came to
know him.
Several times, he gave lectures and Commencement addresses
at NPS, and became good friends with the Cassedys. His rare
book collection had been moved from the family farm after his mother's death to a country store
in
Carmel, N.Y. under his sister's supervision. In a conversation at Forest Glen, John
Cassedy made the offer that he would build a library for the collection if Miller
would move them down. This was during one of the building booms at the
Seminary, and Cassedy was true to his word. The Miller Library was complete in December
1901,
and the books were moved to Forest Glen the following month.
Miller made a habit of staying at the Seminary for
several weeks every Spring. His visit in 1910 was particularly appreciated, as it
helped John Cassedy recover from the grief of losing Vesta a few months earlier. Miller
made his last long visit to Forest Glen in 1911, and died of a heart attack while on the
lecture circuit in July of the same year.
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