Few names carried more weight in Sylvester or Worth County than that of Clarence A. Miller. Miller played a major role in the progress of our community.
With his stalwart devotion to Worth County’s livelihood, it may be hard to believe Miller was not native to Southwest Georgia. Instead, the high school principal, attorney, and judge was born and raised in Bulloch County, GA.
When he graduated from Portal High School near Statesboro, he had a job waiting for him at a paper mill back home. Instead, he decided to join the military. He served in Jackson, KY, during the Korean Conflict from 1952-54, and considered continuing with a career in the Army, but there were two professions he always dreamed of pursuing as a child: an educator and a lawyer.
With no other means to afford a college education, the G.I. Bill would provide the quickest path towards either of his intended professions. Upon returning home in the Fall of 1954, Miller enrolled in Georgia Teacher’s College, now known as Georgia Southern University. He took an accelerated work load and attended through the summers in Statesboro. Within two and a half years, the aspiring educator graduated with a degree in Math and Science Education.
The young teacher worked for a year at Statesboro High School before landing his first job as a principal at a 12 grade school in Unadilla. Just two years later, Miller decided it was time to continue his own education. After making arrangements with the Dooley County School superintendent, he took a leave of absence to earn a Master’s Degree from the University of Georgia in both Math and Education.
About the time he was getting ready to return as the principal in Unadilla, the superintendent had a stroke and became incapacitated. Their previous deal became null and void and Miller’s future was left uncertain. Though he was still preparing to begin the coming school year, a man from Milledgeville informed him of a job opportunity in a little town called Sylvester.
Soon after, he met with Worth Schools Superintendent Lizzy J. Deariso and the school board, and Miller was hired on the spot as the first principal of the newly consolidated Worth County High School.
However, his tenure as high school principal would be short lived. Four years after being hired in Worth County, Miller moved back to Athens to study Law at UGA.
While the decision was partially economic in nature, Miller had achieved success in half of his childhood goals. Relentless ambition persuaded him to continue towards the second. Again he accelerated his curriculum and completed his law degree in two years and three months. He was admitted to the bar and began practicing law in October of 1967. He did not officially graduate until Spring of the following year. And for nearly 50 years since he was sworn in, Clarence Miller practiced general law in Sylvester.
Additionally, he practiced in State and Federal Court for a number of years. He represented the City of Sylvester and the Economic Development Authority for more than 30 years, and served as both a board member and the attorney for the Board of Education, and attorney for Worth County for over three decades. Also, since 1981, Miller served as Judge of State Court in Worth County.
While the court was first created in 1917, Miller is only the third judge to hold that title in Worth County. His predecessors include Mr. C.W. Monk (Ridley Monk’s father), and Mr. W.J. Crowe (Attorney Norman Crowe’s grandfather).
Where his civic responsibility was concerned, the attorney called it a “notion of giving back.” As for the individual clients he represented, he strongly favored justice and fair play. These principles remained his philosophy as State Court Judge and as a lawyer.
“As an advocate, my job is to see that they get their day in court and get a fair trial,” Miller explained. “You can’t always accomplish perfect justice. There’s no such thing, but you search always for fairness and equality.”
“Honesty and integrity are principles I hold very dearly. That’s in public or private life… As far as saying what my impact may have been or might yet be in this community, being a person who stands for honesty, integrity, and equal treatment for the general citizenry, I hope those ideas are associated with whatever name recognition I may have.”
