Roger C. Mills ’65

Roger Mills died of cancer May 3, 2010.  

He came to Princeton to study aerospace engineering and physics after two years at Annapolis. Through a Princeton in Asia fellowship, he taught at Tunghai University in Taiwan, then entered a doctoral program at the University of Michigan, combining urban planning with community psychology and leading to his work at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Roger directed one of the first federally funded community mental-health programs, located in Eugene, Ore. Roger also served as adjunct faculty at the University of Oregon. A grant from NIMH to study the elements

of mental well-being inspired Roger to dedicate his life to application of the principles of philosopher Sydney Banks — and his assumption of innate mental health — to

at-risk communities. His work was recognized on The Today Show and in the book, Modello: A Story of Hope for the Inner City & Beyond. He wrote several books, including Realizing Mental Health, and many articles.  

Roger initiated community projects throughout the United States and co-founded, with his daughter, Ami, the nonprofit Center for Sustainable Change, with project sites in the Midwest, the Mississippi delta, and other areas. Roger taught at Miami Dade College, Alliant International University, and San Francisco State University.  

In addition to Ami, he is survived by his wife, Clytee, and four grandchildren.