James B McMillan

James B. McMillan: Dentist and local NAACP President
Born Jan 14, 1917 in Aberdeen, Mississippi
Mother: Rosalie McMillan
Father: Died in James' infancy from Spanish Flu
Wife: Mickie McMillan
Daughter: Jamilla
Son: John Jr.
mother later remarried
1922: moved to Chicago then Detroit
attended primary school there, matriculated at the University of Michigan, later went to University of Detroit
Was only black Player on the University of Detroit Football team: Kicked off junior year for dating a white girl
1941-1944: Attended Meharry Medical School of Dentistry(Country's first black medical college), this deferred him from the draft,
After graduation, he practiced dentistry in the US Army(Army Dental Corps), rose to rank of captain
	-refused to move to back of bus, driver confronted him, sent to the brig for a night. The base commander took his side the following day
Served again in Korean War(Services integrated then)
Set up private practice in Detroit
Became friends with a Dr. Charles West, a black dr. in same neighborhood. He would relocate to LV(first black dr. in Nevada) and would be the encouragement for McMillan to move out west
In detroit from 1953-1955
Moved to LV in 1955
To receive a dental license, needed a unanimous vote from board of dental examiners
	-McMillan passed with high grades, board delayed on licensing him
	-Board refused to license an African American dentist, except Dr. Quannah McCall was an American Indian. Said if they didn't
 		license McMillan, he would not let anyone else pass on his watch
Furthered the dental vocation as first Nevada dentist to perform dental implants. Took new courses in dentistry at Puerto Rice and in Paris, France.
Governor Mike O'Callaghan appointed him to Nevada Board of Dental Examiners in 1971
Dental Wives's Club disbanded rather than let McMillan's wife enter
Did not really think of becoming president until he was nominated
Highland Dairy and Anderson Dairy wouldn't hire blacks as delivery men, so he wrote to them asking to change it
	-They refused, so they planned a boycott of Highland and drove them out of business, causing Anderson to change their policy
in about 1957, he helped found a newspaper "The Missile", to help spread messages that other newspapers would refuse to print
Sold it three years later, still survives as the Las Vegas Sentinel-Voice
Ordered research into establishment of local Black Chamber of Commerce, would later serve as president(now known as Urban CoC)
Sent letter to mayor demanding him to have a plan to eliminate discrimination, specifically in casinos and restaurants.
	-Mayor made counter offer (which McMillan took) to start offering more city jobs to blacks and for more loans to be offered to them for homes and businesses
Had attempt to intimidate him by local Mob connected hotel owners to tell him to stop the efforts, his response:
	-"All I'm trying to do is make this a cosmopolitan city and that will make more money for them. You tell them that and let me know what they say"
	-The owners backed down afterwards, letting blacks stay at the hotel, eat at restaurants, gamble, and everything else.
	-Known as the Moulin Rouge Agreement, (announced at the Moulin Rouge, March 26, 1960)
served as Clark County School Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1996
	-had elementary school named for him
Founder of Las Vegas Human Rights Commission.
First black to serve on the State Democratic Central Committee
	-active lobbyist for equal black represntation
		-advocated for better housing, employment, senior transportation, treatment of minorities, and increased voter participation of
 			blacks
Died of cancer on March 20, 1999