Class of 1999

Van Miller Television Sportscaster Voice of the Buffalo Bills

From humble beginnings at station WFCB in his native Dunkirk, Van Miller rose to fame as the most versatile play-by-play announcer the Buffalo sports scene has ever known.

Following high school football broadcasting assignments for Dunkirk, Cardinal Mindszenty and Fredonia High, Van broke into the broadcasting big time as the pioneer voice of the new Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1960. With the exception of a brief hiatus in the 1970s, Miller covered the Bills for their entire existence, from the Rockpile to Rich, from the lows (2-14 in 1984 and 1985) to the highs (four Super Bowls).

While the versatile Miller is best-known as the Voice of the Bills, his familiar tone has also brought fans the Bisons (baseball), Braves (basketball) and Stallions (soccer). When fans recall the most memorable moments in Buffalo sports history, in the minds eye, the minds ear usually replays Miller's excitable narrative.

Over the years, Miller has augmented his demanding, varied play-by-play duties with his position as the lead sports anchor at WIVB-TV, a post from which he recently retired. Van's legacy, however, lives in the voices and styles his successors at the station and this lasting contribution has been acknowledged with his induction into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame.