Claudius Herbert Miller was born in Wilkesboro (Wilkes County), North Carolina, on September 1, 1890. After graduating from Wake Forest, Miller worked as an accountant for several North Wilkesboro businesses, including C. C. Smoot tannery and Miller Grocery Co. Miller, however, spent most of his career in the furniture business and served as vice president of Tate Furniture and as well as the purchasing agent for Universal Manufacturing Co. He died in High Point (Guilford County) on November 16, 1957.