By Dr. Carl Mack
Rosalie Reddick was born on December 29, 1925, in Waycross, Georgia. Her father, Dr. S.A. Reddick, was a practicing dentist who later moved his family to Columbus, Georgia. After graduating from high school, Rosalie enrolled at Fisk University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in 1946. In 1947, she married Earl V. Miller, who became a urologist specializing in the genitourinary tract—the kidneys, urinary bladder, adrenal glands, urethra, and male reproductive organs.
While studying in Nashville, the Millers were active in the civil rights struggle. Together, they challenged every aspect of racial segregation and participated in voter registration efforts. Earning her Doctor of Dental Surgery from Meharry Medical College in 1951, the couple returned to Columbus, where she assumed her father’s dental practice.
Moving to Iowa City, Earl received his board certification in urology from the University of Iowa. In 1959, the couple moved to Seattle, Washington. The following year, she passed the Washington State Dental Exam and became the first licensed Black woman dentist ever in the state. From 1964 to 1971, Dr. Miller practiced dentistry at the Group Health Dental Cooperative. Having earned her master’s in public health in 1972, she served as director of dental programs for Model Cities. Her efforts led to improved dental health for more than 3,000 people.
Dr. Miller retired in 1991. On October 17, 2005, the mother of five and wife to Earl for more than 50 years, Dr. Rosalie Reddick Miller, leaned back eternally in His chair.
This article is brought to you courtesy of Black Heritage Day V – the most comprehensive Black History Calendar ever! Edition V is an all women’s edition available at blackheritagedays.com
