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14 Headlines Inventor, aviator, motor engineer, mechanic, farmer, husband, father, stroke survivor and bequestor. All of these terms can and do describe the inspiring individual that one of our most illustrious doctoral scholarships, the W&B Miller Scholarship, is named after. William (Bill) Stanley Miller was born in Dunedin in 1888 and was an adventurous and self-reliant youngster who at a young age decided the sea and air called to him more than land. He ran away to the sea at 13 but then quickly found that the magic of flying appealed to him more. He could see he had a knack for aviation, flying and repair, so he bought old aircraft wrecks in partnership with Frederick Sandford, a pilot, and began repairing them. In 1913 Bill re-designed the Howard- Wright Biplane, giving it set-back wings, and many other structural changes that lightened it considerably. Due to these changes, Frederick Sandford made the first significant New Zealand cross country flight of five kilometres, over New Lynn and the racecourse. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side when Frederick crashed the A man of many parts: William (Bill) Stanley Miller demonstration model in December 1913. Throughout Bill’s life, he would find himself on a tumultuous path of ups and downs throughout his many career adventures. Bill played a vital role in developing one of Auckland’s first taxi companies, and a second-hand car business; he then found himself in the petrol business importing petrol from America as well as in the mercury business during the peak of World War Two. When all those endeavours had run their course, Span Farm on the Te Atatu Peninsula was left, which he would turn into a thriving and successful pig farm. William Miller played important roles in developing businesses throughout the Auckland area that are still known to this day; he is the definition of the term “man of many parts”. But the most important role he has played for many is the legacy he left the Neurological Foundation and the scientists and clinicians his bequest has gone on to support, educate and inspire. Upon Bill’s death on the 28 January 1977 at the age of 88, the Neurological Foundation was notified of a bequest Mr Miller had left in the form of his estate. At that time, the Neurological Foundation was still only five years into funding neurological research and still finding its footing. It had just finished its second round of grants, and a good friend of Bill’s was Council chair, John Seabrook. This was one of the very first bequests left to the Foundation, and it would go on to assist so many individuals.