Col. F. Don Miller was a national collegiate champion boxer and coached two U.S. Olympic Teams. He served 26 years in the U.S. Army, receiving the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts for his service.
It was after his career in the Army that Miller joined the U.S. Olympic Committee as its national fundraiser. He subsequently served 16 years as the USOC’s executive director. During his tenure, the USOC grew from a small agency responsible for fielding teams for international competition to a full-fledged organization tasked with helping teams and athletes improve. During Miller’s tenure, the USOC quadrennial budget grew from $4 million to $88 million.
Following the U.S. boycott of the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games, there were concerns about the financial viability of the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games. Miller and USOC President Robert J. Kane helped save the Los Angeles Games by convincing the International Olympic Committee to allow the USOC to be the guarantor of The Games in exchange for 40 percent of any profits; The Games went on to produce a $225 million profit and Miller became the first president of the U.S. Olympic Foundation and led the expansion of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Miller was presented the Olympic Order.
Miller died in 1996. He was 75.
