Jeffrey Glenn Miller
March 28, 1950 – May 4, 1970
“You should, first of all, know more about Jeff and the kind of kid he was –
which had a direct bearing on the kind of young adult he turned out to be.”
— Elaine Holstein, Jeff Miller’s mother
“Jeff and I grew up in the Bronx, NY.
When not in school, life in the Bronx was all about playing stickball and hanging out on the front steps of our apartment house. Those were great times!”
— Russ Miller, Jeff ’s older brother
“[Jeff] played hockey, was a delivery boy for Newsday,
did well academically, and agonized over his height. He had lots of friends but bemoaned the fact that most girls saw him as a friend.”
— Elaine
Learning More:
Jeff and Russ
“In the mid-sixties, I was in high school and Jeff was in middle school. By 1964, I was off to college, Michigan State, while Jeff attended high school. This geographical reality prevented that daily relationship. But Jeff still looked at me as his role model, at least that’s what he told me.
In 1966, Jeff came out to Michigan and stayed at my fraternity house for a week. Vietnam was a world away and not yet relevant to either of our lives. Jeff loved the life I was living and aspired to follow in my footsteps.
Consequently, he applied to MSU, was accepted and entered the Freshman Class in the Fall of ’67. He even joined my fraternity.”
—Russ
“We both attended MSU until I graduated in December ’68. But even before that, things became complicated. Our three-year difference in age became more significant.
The war was heating up and Jeff had become extremely passionate in his views about it. At the same time, I was thinking about starting a career.”
—Russ
Jeff. aka “Short Mort”
Jeff had an extensive collection of vinyl records, including albums by The Rolling Stones, Earth, Wind, and Fire, The Doors, The Ventures, and Elvis Presley. He also hosted a radio show during his time in college, and frequented live music venues like The Fillmore East in New York.
“I expected MY son to be against the war—most of the kids and adults I knew were against the war...
I don’t think I knew one person who felt differently.”
—Elaine
Records from Jeff’s time at Kent State University
“During Jeff ’s first years in college, campus anti-war protests increased dramatically and Jeff, who had been initially critical of his friends who he said were ‘hippies,’ was increasingly embracing the hippie lifestyle.”
—Russ
“By the Spring of 1970, we had migrated to opposite ends of the Vietnam spectrum.
I lobbied that moving to Canada could potentially destroy his life. He saw no other option. I was still insulated from the war due to my employment in the medical device industry.
Would he have actually headed north? I’ll never know.”
—Russ
Jeff: A Lasting Portrait
The students of Glyphix Studio, the Kent State University design team responsible for bringing these exhibitions to life, felt it was important to illuminate Jeff’s character beyond the award winning photographs of his death. To this end, each student made his or her own rendition of our favorite portrait of Jeff in the style and media of their choice.
We are hopeful that Jeff’s wonderful smile, compassionate personality, and zeal for the future come through in our interpretations.
