ANN ARBOR, MI - Leonard G. Miller, a Detroit area businessman and alumnus of the University of Michigan ('55), has made a $1 million gift to help launch the U-M Kellogg Eye Center expansion project, recently approved by the University's Board of Regents.

“Leonard Miller has offered a leadership gift that comes at a key moment in our building campaign,” said Paul R. Lichter, M.D., chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Director of the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center. “His generosity will allow us to develop the facilities our scientists need to sustain their leadership in vision research. Larry understands how vital physical space is to scientific discovery.”

The $120M building, to be located adjacent to the current Kellogg Eye Center research tower, will increase the center's space for vision research, education and patient care by 50 percent. One of the foremost goals of the new center is to advance the pace of research toward a cure for diseases like macular degeneration that affect millions of older Americans.

Miller's gift grew out his own experience at the Kellogg Eye Center, where, he observes, he had the “lucky coincidence” of meeting Lichter just after he developed double vision. After being successfully treated at Kellogg, Miller accepted Lichter's invitation to tour the eye center.

“My support comes from a personal connection to individuals, and then having the opportunity to learn about the needs of the Eye Center,” he says. “When I toured the research laboratories with Paul, I could see how crowded the facilities had become. It seemed that the time was right to contribute to the growth of the research program.

“Eyesight is such a critical part of our lives,” he continues. “I'm pleased to be able to make research possible—and better.”

U-M President Mary Sue Coleman says Miller's gift will enable growth vital for medical research while advancing The Michigan Difference, the University's $2.5-billion fundraising campaign. “This generous gift will allow us to expand facilities and resources needed to further our understanding of eye disease. Mr. Miller's timely support of vision research has the potential for improving the lives of millions of people.”

In addition to his gift to the Kellogg Eye Center, Miller has also supported the U-M College of Engineering and the Division of Hematology/Oncology.

Miller was a founding partner of Molmec, Inc., a major supplier of molded plastic components for the automotive industry. The company, located in Walled Lake, Mich., manufactured components such as trim pieces, door handles, fasteners, fans and shrouds, as well as carburetors and timing gears for small engines.

Molmec introduced many innovations over the years, including a quieter, more efficient automotive fan based on technology used to develop silent torpedo propellers in the 1980s. The company was also one of the first to use robots in the injection molding manufacturing process, and it introduced the first toilet designed to conserve water by using only a gallon and a half of water per flush.

Miller's commitment to the state of Michigan and his community were reflected in his decision to maintain Molmec's operations in Michigan while other suppliers were relocating to other states and Mexico for lower labor costs. When the company was sold in 1997, it had grown to 1,000 employees and five manufacturing plants in Michigan.

Mr. Miller was active in the industry and was a frequent speaker at technical conferences. He was on the board of the Detroit chapter of the Society of Plastic Engineers where he facilitated the development of educational courses in plastics. He also served on advisory committees at Eastern Michigan and Ferris State Universities.

Miller earned his B.S.E. (materials) and M.S. (high polymers) from the U-M College of Engineering in 1955. When he enrolled, he announced his intention to go into the emerging field of plastics. His advisors suggested that he start in chemical engineering and they would have “something” for him his senior year. As a result, Miller was awarded one of the first degrees in materials engineering from the University of Michigan.

Miller's parents and sister are U-M graduates. His father was involved in the University's Evans Scholarship for golf caddies. In the 1940s, his grandfather, Henry Carter Adams II, was instrumental in advancing the U-M Naval Architecture program. Miller also recalls that his grandmother ran “a boarding house for ladies” attending the university, located on the former Haven Street , near the current business school.

Born in Birmingham, Mich., Miller currently resides in Orchard Lake Village, where he served as mayor in 1988, and later, as a member of the village planning commission. Mr. Miller was married for 40 years to the late Shirley Elkins Miller.

Written by Kara Gavin

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