He was born in Mount Sterling, Wisconsin to William J. and Ardella Mills. He moved West with his parents attending schools in Arizona and Southern California. He graduated with a BA from UCLA in 1929 and MA from Berkeley in 1932. He and Hazel Emery married December 13, 1931 in Berkeley. He was an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Berkeley from 1933 to 1938. They moved to Eugene, Oregon in 1938.He was an Assistant Professor of English there until his death in 1952 of a heart attack. During WWII he taught English to soldiers. They had no children, but if they had, they would have been named Flower and Steel! They did have a cocker spaniel named Skipper. He was the author of two books about Oregon Steamships and Railroads. He was the first President of the Oregon Folklore Society. He was interested in the folklore, the folk music, the history, and the dialects of the residents of Oregon.
He was born in Mount Sterling, Wisconsin to William J. and Ardella Mills. He moved West with his parents attending schools in Arizona and Southern California. He graduated with a BA from UCLA in 1929 and MA from Berkeley in 1932. He and Hazel Emery married December 13, 1931 in Berkeley. He was an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Berkeley from 1933 to 1938. They moved to Eugene, Oregon in 1938.He was an Assistant Professor of English there until his death in 1952 of a heart attack. During WWII he taught English to soldiers. They had no children, but if they had, they would have been named Flower and Steel! They did have a cocker spaniel named Skipper. He was the author of two books about Oregon Steamships and Railroads. He was the first President of the Oregon Folklore Society. He was interested in the folklore, the folk music, the history, and the dialects of the residents of Oregon.
