Dr. Hiram E. Miller was born in Illinois, reared in California, where he graduated from the Medical School of the University of California in 1917.  He went into the Army as a Junior Officer with Base Hospital No. 30, U.S.A.  He became an Executive Officer for the bigger medical center, and before the war was over, he was promoted to the rank of Major, Medical Corps.  He took graduate work in dermatology at Vanderbilt Clinic, New York, and returned to San Francisco in 1920.  Dr. Miller was appointed to Assistant Professorin 1925 and later, clinical professor and Chief of the Department of Dermatology and Syphilology of UCSF (it was "department" in those days, then subdepartment, then division, then department again).  He practiced at UCSF Hospital, and served as consulting dermatologist at Southern Pacific General, St. Luke's, Children's, and Mt. Zion hospitals. Dr. Miller was an office associate of Dr. Howard Morrow at 384 Post Street.

My determination to enter dermatology was a direct outcome of taking an oral examination from Hiram E. Miller, M.D., then chairman of the department  Dr. Miller asked me if anogenital warts were "venereal" and I said yes.  He said "wrong."  But he asked me what I planned to do with my medical life, and I said I didn't know.  He asked me if I had thought about dermatology as a career.  I said no, and he said "think about it."  So I did  to my growing delight.  After my father (who wanted me to become a surgeon) died during my internship, I went downtown to Union Square in San Francisco to see Dr. Miller.  We entered the elevator together, and I told him I wanted to train in dermatology.  He told me the position was filled.  I explained that I was interning, and was applying for the position the following year.  He told me to report back on July 1, 1940, and he left the elevator on the eighth floor, where I subsequently was to practice with him until his death in 1947.

Dr. Alanson Weeks of San Francisco County Medical Society wrote in his memoriam, published in The Bulletin (December 1947), that I have never known a student or patient of his who did not adore Dr. Miller.  In fact, these last months of his life I have met scores of his patients, his friends and mine, who asked after him with deep emotion.  He had a rare gentleness in a man so positive. These rare traits will be demanded by his patients, and will make it difficult to fill his place.

Dr. Miller's contributions to Medicine and professional society are well known.  He served on the American Board of Dermatology and was secretary of California State Medical Association, Section on Dermatology and Syphilology.

Dr. Miller died at the age of 57 following an operation for a brain tumor.