Dr. Samuel Miller, III

[Akimbo]

I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but was lucky enough to get to speak to him on the phone a time or two.

I had the privilege of visiting him at his home on his 88th birthday. His book collection is truly priceless as was his knowledge of diving history.

 

[Dark Wolf]

I had the provide of visiting him at his home on his 88th birthday. His book collection is truly priceless as was his knowledge of diving history.

I can only guess what his library looked like, very cool indeed!

I wish now that I would have written down or recorded our conversation. He told me about his ancestors moving West, and coming through somewhat near where I live. This would have been when he was searching for Guy Gilpatricks grave. I would have really liked to have met him.

DW

 

[rhwestfall]

"modern late model tube sucking bubble blower"....

A character he was....

I'll just leave it at that....

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

May his memory be eternal.
Sam liked to collect Silent World in different languages. I wasn't able to find it in Greek in any bookstores in Athens, but I was able to find a couple books, including some comic books that I sent him. I'll probably do the same with my daughter as he did with his son, Sam Miller IV, of scuba diving in the bathtub with a cut down mouthpiece.

He was a walking scuba library and in all my art crafts depicting a dive flag, I'll make sure to always make it in the correct dimensions/ratios.

Edit: IIRC he liked the comic books as his kids or grandkids had a babysitter that was Greek and spoke Greek to them.

 

[lowwall]

Sam had little patience for armchair scuba divers. I can't tell you how many of his posts we had to, um, edit. He ruffled more than a few feathers, but for the most part, when I explained reality to the butt-hurt user Sam had just schooled, they got it. He was a priceless commodity that we would not have for very long. I can't tell you how I wish we had hundreds more of his posts that we have to edit. I loved that curmudgeon.

My first encounter with Sam came when he jumped all over me via PM over something I posted on the origin of the current style of BP/W. He felt I had not adequately covered the history of backplates prior to Flanagan's 1979 plate (which to be fair to me was something I had specifically stated I was not addressing). Here's a sample of how he expressed his feeling:

Are you with 50 dives and a few years experience certain of your statement ? The absolute joy of modern late model tube sucking bubble blower who have read a book or read a thread and researched no more-- they are the experts

How about the Floridian who claimed he used a street sign to create the first back plate ?

How about the early catalogs ? What ones did you consult for your absolute statement ? I would appreciate a list by company and date of the many catalogs you consulted-- There were many prior to 1970.

Sam Miller, III

My first thought was, "Who the hell is this guy?" And then I looked him up. Anyway, we worked it out.

 

[The Chairman]

I'll make sure to always make it in the correct dimensions/ratios.

Indeed. Of course, violating that might cause him to return once again.

 

[The Chairman]

How about the Floridian who claimed he used a street sign to create the first back plate ?

William Hogarth Main, from whom we've derived the term "Hogarthian Diving". I wonder how he's doing?

 

[Manatee Diver]

William Hogarth Main, from whom we've derived the term "Hogarthian Diving". I wonder how he's doing?

I saw on Facebook that he was involved with some GUE project that one of my friends was diving a few months back.

 

[undrwater]

Well damn. One of the characters for whom I'd ask "just a little more time, please?"

"When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground."

Old African proverb.

When reading his posts, I always had a fantasy of developing a "Sam's Encyclopedia of SCUBA History".

I suppose it's still possible...

 

[The Chairman]

I suppose it's still possible...

In many ways, ScubaBoard is just that. It's about as complete as we'll ever get now.