Couple gives $2.2 million to Champlain College

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Robert and Holly Miller never went to college, because their families couldn't afford tuition, but with a recent gift of $2.2 million, they've become Champlain College's most generous donors.

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The Burlington couple now has given Champlain $3.75 million during the past 12 years, with their latest gift to go toward Champlain's $12 million capital campaign to build new campus facilities and boost the school's endowment.

Their pledge includes supporting the college's first endowed chair, a $1 million academic fund created to honor retiring President Roger Perry.

Robert Miller owns REM Development Co. Holly Miller has served on Champlain's board of trustees since 1992.

Originally from Rutland, the Millers say they came from modest means. Holly Miller said she excelled academically in high school but was told by a guidance counselor that because she was poor, college was not in her future.

"I was classified as unfit because my family was economically on the lower end," Miller said Monday. "I had put that in the back of my head."

At 17, Holly Miller began working at a Burlington doctor's office, eventually rising through the ranks to become office manager. In charge of hiring staff, Miller would often call on Champlain College graduates to become medical secretaries.

"Champlain has always rung true to me about its goal of career education," she said, referring to the campus as a place where students can both prepare for a practical career and gain a strong liberal arts experience. "There's an excitement and a vibe on campus at Champlain that says we're all in this together. It's a community feeling."

The absence of college degrees has not deterred the couple from becoming successful business owners and philanthropists.

Robert Miller said he can always count on their gifts to Champlain being put to good use.

"It's a no-nonsense school, a small school, so you can make a major impact with a major gift," Miller said. "We look at (Champlain) as good stewards of the campus and they spend their money wisely."

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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com