Spanning a 50-year career on the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. William F. “Bill” Miller was a proven pioneering professor, practitioner, and researcher in pulmonary care.

Dr. Miller, 95, died April 29 of heart disease at his home in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Dr. Miller joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1951 as a clinical instructor and later became a Professor of Internal Medicine. Throughout his career, he teamed with researchers in other disciplines to advance care for patients with polio and an array of other lung conditions, and everyone receiving anesthesia.

“Dr. William Miller was one of the early members of the Department of Medicine.  It was he who introduced the advanced technology for pulmonary insufficiency and failure, and coupled this with meticulous care and follow-up of patients,” said Dr. Donald Seldin, Professor and Chairman Emeritus of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern.  “After he left the Department, a number of his fellows – Dr. Ivan Cushing, Dr. Robert Johnson, and others – continued his tradition of advancing the understanding of abnormal pulmonary function and the various therapeutic modalities available to treat these disorders. His contribution was a major asset in developing the Department of Medicine.”

Dr. Miller’s collaborative efforts with Dr. Cushing helped in the development of the artificial respirator. He also worked with fellow faculty member Dr. J. Robert Cade, who later formulated the Gatorade sports drink. He served as Medical Director of the home care program at Parkland Memorial Hospital when he retired and moved to Shreveport in 2001.

Dr. Miller was a pulmonary-medicine consultant to the U.S. surgeon general from 1959 to 1972. He was active with the American College of Chest Physicians and was past President of that group’s Texas chapter.

Born in Stone Creek, Ohio, Dr. Miller received his bachelor’s degree from what is now Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, in 1942; and a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in 1945. He followed his internship with residencies in medicine, neurology, and radiology.

He served with the Ohio National Guard and the Medical Corps from 1938 until he moved to Dallas in 1948. Dr. Miller completed his training in pulmonary medicine at the Dallas VA Medical Center in 1951.

Dr. Miller’s awards include the Forrest M. Bird Science Award from the American Respiratory Care Foundation (1988) , and the Award of Excellence in Honor of Leadership and Pioneering Work in the Field of Pulmonary Rehabilitation from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (1989).

Dr. Miller was a founder of the American Respiratory Care Foundation, where he was a board member emeritus.

He married Faye Braswell in 2007. In addition to his wife, Dr. Miller is survived by daughters Leslie Herd and Karla Strutz of North Richland Hills, Lisa Hearn of Houston, Katy Merriman of Shreveport, and Mary Grouss of St. Augustine, Florida; two sons, Chris Miller of Dripping Springs, and Will Miller of Shreveport; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.