October 11, 2005

Purdue's Human Development Institute gains more support

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue's new Human Development Institute, which will be the home for centers that promote research on families, aging and leadership, received more support from a major gift announced Tuesday (Oct. 11).

Ben and Maxine Miller
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"This is yet another indication of the importance of the College of Consumer and Family Sciences to alumni, and the people who benefit in the end will be the people of Indiana," said President Martin C. Jischke. "Ben and Maxine Miller have shown time and again their commitment to helping Purdue, not only with gifts but also with strong leadership in committees and academic endeavors. These are the people who make up the Purdue family. We are all grateful to them for their leadership and trust."

The announcement is part of a two-week celebration leading up to Purdue's Oct. 15 Homecoming. Events focus on ways Purdue is improving education and helping the state of Indiana as part of the university's strategic plan and $1.5 billion fund-raising campaign.

The Millers of Lafayette, Ind., gave a leadership gift to the Purdue Child Care Program in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies, which will be renamed the Ben and Maxine Miller Child Learning Center, subject to ratification by the university's board of trustees.

Ben and Maxine Miller

The center is housed in Fowler House and will be part of the planned Human Development Institute, which also will include a second building, the proposed Hanley Hall, to be located west of Fowler. Together, the two buildings will provide almost 50,000 assignable square feet of space. The institute also will contain programs and centers from the College of Consumer and Family Sciences and the College of Agriculture.

Maxine Miller is a 1959 graduate of the College of Consumer and Family Sciences with a bachelor's degree in vocational home economics education. Ben Miller graduated in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in industrial economics from the School of Management. He is the retired president and CEO of Tri-County Communications Inc., which later became part of TDS Telecommunications.

The current Purdue Child Care Program features a learning laboratory for students in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies. It provides care for children ages 2-5 on a full-day basis throughout the year. The program was founded in 1983 to provide child development practicum and student-teaching experiences for students.

Purdue Child Care Program
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"After giving to several areas at Purdue, including athletics, we thought it was time to give to the childcare center because of the importance of an early foundation," Maxine Miller said. "I was taught that the first four years of a child's life is the basis for the personality, so the time children spend there will be very important to their development. I'm happy to know that parents everywhere will be able to benefit from research done at my alma mater."

Dennis Savaiano, dean of the College of Consumer and Family Sciences, said the name change is more reflective of what the center does.

"Through all these years of research, we know that children pass on information they learn, so the work that's done in these laboratories will be carried on for generations to come," Savaiano said. "Putting the Millers' name on our childcare program lets us add a human touch and honor an incredible couple at the same time."

The Millers served as co-chairs of the university's President's Council in 1998-99 and are serving on the Campaign for Purdue Steering Committee. In 1999 they endowed a Beering Scholarship and currently provide scholarship funds for the College of Consumer and Family Sciences and the Krannert School of Management. They have provided scholarships to men's and women's basketball and the football program. They also are members of the director's circle of Purdue Musical Organizations and recently made a contribution to the Tom Spurgeon Golf Training Center.

Ben Miller is a member of the Strategic Plan Task Force for Purdue and is director emeritus of the Independent Telecommunications Pioneer Association. He served as chair of the United States Telecommunications Association and was appointed by Ronald Reagan to the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. He also was chairman of the Indiana Telecommunication Association. In 2002 the Millers were made Sagamores of the Wabash, the highest honor awarded by Indiana's governor.

The Human Development Institute will be home to the Center on Aging and the Life Course, the Department of Child Development and Family Studies' Early Childhood Education Program, the Department of Youth Development and Agricultural Education, the Volunteer Leadership Development Center, and the Center for Families. It also will provide interdisciplinary research space for universitywide collaborations such as those conducted by the Military Family Research Institute, a joint effort of the College of Consumer and Family Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, and the Krannert School of Management.

A gift of $3 million was announced Saturday (Oct. 7) to establish the Bill and Sally Hanley Hall, which will house the new center.

Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu

Sources: Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-9708

Dennis Savaiano, (765) 494-8213, savaiano@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

PHOTO CAPTION:
Students from the Purdue Child Care Program, including, from right, 4-year-old Gabriella Reynolds, Rukundo Tonge, 3, and Deryck Kim, 4, say thank you in sign language to Maxine and Ben Miller for their gift to Purdue's new Human Development Institute. The Millers of Lafayette, Ind., gave a leadership gift to the Child Care Program, which will be renamed the Ben and Maxine Miller Child Learning Center. (Purdue News Service photo/ David Umberger)

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2005/millergift-kids.jpg

PHOTO CAPTION:
Children enjoy learning and playtime at the Purdue Child Care Program in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies. The Child Care Program will be renamed the Ben and Maxine Miller Child Learning Center in honor of the couple's gift to the program. (Purdue News Service photo/David Umberger)

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2005/miller-gift.jpg

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