In the mid 1930s, New Brighton High School had
one of the prized student-athletes in the area: Melvin Raymond
Miller. Mel’s athletic achievements were not only noteworthy but
quite broad: how else could you include a horseshoe tournament
championship that he won as a high school senior? But Mel made a
name for himself in basketball and football and had an especially
good senior season in both sports: he was named All County as a
football end and was All County and All WPIAL on the basketball
hardwood. Mel chose to continue his education at Westminster College
and again participated in football and basketball. He was a starter
all three seasons on the Titan football team, but a fractured wrist
in his junior year ended his gridiron days. Mel was a four year
starter on the basketball squad and was named to several All
Opponent teams and in 1939 was selected to the Pittsburgh District
College All Star team. Mel was captain of the Hardwood Hoopsters and
president of the Block W Society academic club and was presented the
Sphinx Award by the Men’s Honorary Society for the 1939-1940 school
year. Mel continued his education at Geneva and the University of
Pittsburgh and earned his
doctorate but remained close to athletics. He was head basketball
coach at New Brighton for 12 years and won two section titles. He
also managed the New Brighton American Legion baseball team for two
years and served as recreation director for eight years. He was New
Brighton athletic director for three years and assisted in football
for six years. In 1945, five years after college graduation, Mel
tied for second place in a national foul shooting contest. A
longtime superintendent of schools of New Brighton, Mel was inducted
into the New Brighton Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
In the mid 1930s, New Brighton High School had
one of the prized student-athletes in the area: Melvin Raymond
Miller. Mel’s athletic achievements were not only noteworthy but
quite broad: how else could you include a horseshoe tournament
championship that he won as a high school senior? But Mel made a
name for himself in basketball and football and had an especially
good senior season in both sports: he was named All County as a
football end and was All County and All WPIAL on the basketball
hardwood. Mel chose to continue his education at Westminster College
and again participated in football and basketball. He was a starter
all three seasons on the Titan football team, but a fractured wrist
in his junior year ended his gridiron days. Mel was a four year
starter on the basketball squad and was named to several All
Opponent teams and in 1939 was selected to the Pittsburgh District
College All Star team. Mel was captain of the Hardwood Hoopsters and
president of the Block W Society academic club and was presented the
Sphinx Award by the Men’s Honorary Society for the 1939-1940 school
year. Mel continued his education at Geneva and the University of
Pittsburgh and earned his
doctorate but remained close to athletics. He was head basketball
coach at New Brighton for 12 years and won two section titles. He
also managed the New Brighton American Legion baseball team for two
years and served as recreation director for eight years. He was New
Brighton athletic director for three years and assisted in football
for six years. In 1945, five years after college graduation, Mel
tied for second place in a national foul shooting contest. A
longtime superintendent of schools of New Brighton, Mel was inducted
into the New Brighton Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.