Y adds entire family to Hall of Honor

HIGH POINT- The YMCA of High Point in some years has added two people at a time to its YMCA Hall of Honor, but this year it added five members of one family, joining the family patriarch, who was one of the first 12 ever honored. The late James H. Millis was inducted into the Hall of Honor in 1987, and on Tuesday night the YMCA inducted his wife, the late Jesse "Jess" Millis, and their children, James H. Millis Jr., Bill Millis, Emily Millis Hiatt and Molly Millis Young. 

Bob Amos, a YMCA ex officio board member, said the Millises have been in the forefront of supporting the YMCA of High Point since it was formed. Amos remembers as a child going to the Y summer camps on the Millis farm, and he said the family has been particularly important to the growth of the organization's two mountain camps, Camp Cheerio and Camp Cheerio New River.

The mountain camps "will be an explosive growth area of our YMCA," he said. "The Millises recognized that."

But Amos said the Millises mostly kept their donations quiet and declined offers to put their names on any of the things their donations made possible.

In fact, High Point University President Nido Qubein joked that if Jesse Millis has been there Tuesday night, she would have begun trying to get the Hall of Honor nominating committee members fired for giving her the publicity.

The Millises have been instrumental in numerous philanthropic endeavors over decades, Qubein said, naming Open Door Ministries and the High Point Community Foundation as examples. He said that when he became president of HPU, Jesse Millis was the first person he approached when the university needed to raise money to build a residence hall. She gave but refused to have it called Millis Hall, and she insisted on a private, low-key groundbreaking ceremony.

At the groundbreaking, "I told Jess, 'This is such a blessing,' and she said, "Call it Blessing Hall," Qubein said.

That's also how Blessing Park at Truist Point Stadium and Blessing Chapel at Camp Cheerio got their names.

"The Millises didn't just give money," he said, "they gave leadership."

Lynn Lomax, the CEO of the YMCA of High Point, said that every year, the Hall of Honor nominating committee batted around various Millis family names as possibilities for the honor. He said he was glad the committee finally decided to break with tradition and bring in the entire family at once. 

However, only Jesse Millis' bust will be added to those of other in the Hall of Honor. The children asked that only their names appear, and just on small nameplates.

Lynn Lomax, YMCA of High Point CEO, leads guests in a toast as they celebrate the YMCA of High Point's centennial year during Tuesday's Heritage Club Dinner at The Loft at Congdon Yards.

 Pictured Left to Right: Bob Amos, Molly Millis Young, and Lynn Lomax.