Columbus icon J. Irwin Miller's life and impact

<p dir="ltr">In 1967, <strong><a href= "https://www.esquire.com/">Esquire magazine</a></strong> published a cover story with the tagline: "This man ought to be the next president of the United States."</p> <p dir="ltr">The reference was to<strong> J. Irwin Miller</strong> the long-time president of <strong><a href= "https://columbus.in.us/cummins-history/">Cummins Engine Company</a></strong> - today, <strong><a href= "https://www.cummins.com/">Cummins Inc.</a></strong> - whose impact extended far beyond the business world, both locally in his hometown of <strong><a href= "https://columbus.in.us/">Columbus, Ind</a></strong>., and nationally, where he played a significant role in the civil rights movement.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a recently released biography of Miller (1909-2004) puts it, he led Cummins "from its roots as a small, family business to an international Fortune 500 company and transformed Columbus into a gem of mid-century modern architecture."</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="http://www.nancykriplen.com/">Nancy Kriplen</a></strong> the <strong>Indianapolis</strong>-based author of a recently released biography, <strong><em><a href= "https://iupress.org/9780253043818/j-irwin-miller/">J. Irwin Miller: The Shaping of an American Town</a></em></strong> (I.U. Press), will be Nelson's guest to share insights about the influential civic leader who lured prominent mid-century modern architects to Columbus to design public and private buildings ranging from churches, schools and banks to houses. Among the architectural luminaries: <strong><a href= "https://www.archdaily.com/772102/spotlight-eliel-saarinen">Eliel Saarinen</a></strong>, his son <strong><a href= "https://www.archdaily.com/772104/spotlight-eero-saarinen?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all">Eero Saarinen</a></strong> (designer of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis), <strong><a href= "https://www.archdaily.com/359079/happy-96th-birthday-i-m-pei?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all">I.M. Pei</a></strong> and <strong><a href= "https://www.ar