Member Profile: Jon Miller
Winter 2006
Academic Information: A.B. in Government, Ohio University, 1963; M.A. in Political Science, University of Chicago, 1965; Ph.D. in Political Science, Northwestern University, 1970
Professional Information: Director of the Center for Biomedical Communication in the Feinberg School of Medicine and Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University; Director of the International Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy at Northwestern University; Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Northern Illinois University, where he was the Founding Director of the Public Opinion Laboratory.
Favorite spot in Chicago: The 12th floor balcony of the University Club on a sunny summer afternoon enjoying a great view of Millennium Park, the Art Institute, Grant Park, and Lake Michigan.
If I weren’t a political scientist, I’d like to be: An architect. Buildings and space – like society itself – are simultaneously the product of human ingenuity and a continuing influence on human behaviors.
Favorite website: www.nytimes.com
If I could have dinner with any three people I’d dine with: John F. Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Each of these individuals reflected the spirit of their times and were able to provide leadership far beyond the formal powers of their office.
I’m a member of the PBK Chicago Association because: I think that a good liberal education is essential to a good life. Phi Beta Kappa is an organization that can argue for liberal education without appearing to be seeking to advance a single discipline. In an increasingly specialized world, the advancement of liberal education is a critical role.