Col. Thomas Miller, 1811-1841

A native of Washington County, Pennsylvania, Thomas Miller met James S. Rollins while attending school in Indiana and Kentucky. Returning home, Rollins recommended Miller for the presidency of Columbia College, the forerunner of the University of Missouri. Miller accepted the position in 1834, only to resign two years later due to failing health. He joined Rollin's law firm, but his health continued to decline. He left for Santa Fe in 1841, dying en route.

This portrait may be a copy of an earlier work done by Bingham in 1834. It is the only miniature by Bingham known to exist. The importance of the portrait is that what was apparently a preliminary sketch appears on the verso and is the only extant example of Bingham’s preparation in drawing for a portrait. Ruth Rollins Westfall presented the portrait to the Society in 1961.