Otto, the Little Miller guy becomes SHS icon…
He’s short and dumpy with a barrel chest that extends to a torso that droops slightly over his belt. His high, round cheeks frame an equally round nose that is accented with a bushy, slightly handle-barred moustache. His trousers appear bunched up, possibly due to the over-sized, clown-like boots. Atop his head sits a fairly flattened safety helmet that is cocked over his right eye.
Yes, it’s the “little Miller guy” who for the past 32 years has represented at least one image of Springfield High School. We all know him, but do we know anything about him? It was quite a challenge to find his roots; the image of the little fellow against a back-drop of the saw blade that now is on all sorts of school media first appeared on the cover of the 1966 yearbook. The only record of his appearance before then was in 1961 when his image was used on the back of rally outfits. But more careful and more determined research traced his origins to an October, 1957, edition of the school newspaper.
The staff of the SENTINEL was looking for an emblem to challenge Eugene High school’s “Axeman”. An editorial appeal called upon the artists of the school to submit their ideas for an emblem for SHS. “What does a Miller look like?” the editorial asked. “To truly represent Springfield High, the emblem should come from the students themselves. Only a student, we feel, can really know the spirit of the Springfield Millers and can convey this in artwork.”
By November the logo of the SENTINEL was graced by the “little Miller guy” with whom we have all become familiar. But it apparently wasn’t the choice of the committee looking for an emblem. “Several suggestions and little action has been taken on a school emblem,” a story reported in the Nov. 15 edition. Although the story is not clear, former principal Dale Parnell suggested the newspaper staff use the “little Miller guy” temporarily. “We need the students’ opinion of the little Miller used. Students, if you would voice your opinion to any member of the staff, we will be more than happy to do our best to get the school a decent emblem, “the story concluded.
According to the Rev. Zane Wilson of Springfield Lutheran Church, then sports editor of the SENTINEL, the emblem was penned by classmate Dale Ott, now a working artist living in the Portland area. Ott concedes that he had actually drawn the characterization for use on rally uniforms; “I was an untrained designer then,” he said recently from his Portland office. He made a trip to his old home town a few years ago and drove past the school, seeing his art. “It was unbelievable that it was still being used,” he said. “I was absolutely shocked!”
Ott admits that the character is not representative of the type of artwork he does for his contemporary clients, such as White Stag, Speedo, Avia and the Hilton. “Today if I looked at it (the little Miller guy), I would laugh.”
It’s actually a little ironic that this character ever got used. Ott admits that he was a little rowdy when he was in school (the word Hell-raiser comes to mind), and Parnell really didn’t like him. Ott’s impression was that Parnell’s feelings were stronger than that. That Parnell should suggest the newspaper use Ott’s drawing indicates he probably didn’t know who the artist actually was. Possibly it was art teacher David Foster, later a U of O professor, who served as an intermediary in this matter. Ott, who credits his successful venture into the art field to Foster, says Foster knew of the rift between Parnell and himself. Of Foster Ott says, “I can’t give him enough credit.”
Although the “little Miller guy got off to a rocky start, his perseverance prevailed and his temporary use has now stretched four decades. He has graced official school stationery, the floor and walls of Miller Pavilion, yearbooks, pins, signs, and practically anything that identifies itself with Springfield High School.
Apparently we have found our emblem, and “Otto” (as he has come to be known) is us. (P. Albright)
Thanks for sharing this information,Christina...
