Saint Michael's College

Julian Miller broke the color barrier in Saint Michael's Athletics -- short-lived as it was! Forty years before Jackie Robinson's appearance in a Brooklyn Dodger uniform, Julian became the first African-American varsity athlete at SMC, as he made the very first varsity football team in the Fall of 1907. He starred for the Purple Knights for four years (1907-10), starting at halfback from his sophomore through senior seasons. He served as team captain in his junior and senior seasons, and led the Knights to a better-than-.500 record over the span (10-9). A true student-athlete, he won the College's Gold Medal For Elocution as a freshman! He was also a founding member of the Newman Lyceum Honor Society on campus, as he played a major part in writing the organization's charter and by-laws, and served as its first Secretary. A native of Philadelphia, he maintained a close relationship with the College -- with a particular interest in athletics -- until his death in 1967.