Fishbait Miller

William Moseley Miller was born on July 20, 1909, in Pascagoula, Mississippi to Albert Magnus Miller, a sea captain, and his wife Nettie Maddox. As a child he was nicknamed "Fishbait" for his small stature (he weighed at the age of 15), and he was known by this name his entire life. Miller worked at the local pharmacy for several years, where he met William Colmer, then a district attorney. Colmer helped him get into Harrison-Stone Junior College, which he attended from 1929 to 1932. == Career ==

Miller began working in the United States House of Representatives in 1933 as a clerk in the House's Post Office. When Miller drew office assignments for House members, he was known to sand his fingertips in order to identify the discs he was drawing and ensure that Democratic members received desirable offices. Miller also functioned in the role by escorting visiting foreign dignitaries. A 1950 profile in The New York Times described Miller as "odd-jobs man for his 435 bosses", mentioning that he functioned as "baby-sitter, cigar-lighter, gum-giver and even water boy". He earned $40,000 a year, $2,500 less than a congressperson. In 1974, Miller faced competition for his job for the first time since 1949. he was ousted and replaced by James T. Molloy. Upon leaving the post, Miller remarked, "I have lived a good life, a full life", and, "I have enjoyed every minute of it and as I leave I have no regrets and no axes to grind". ==Personal life==

Miller married Mabel Breeland in 1937. They had one child. The Washington Post described him as an "enthusiastic socializer and an irrepressible dynamo". == References ==