Birney Mills (USA)

Birney Mills was the second SCIRA Executive Secretary from 1953 to 1970. He stepped into the vacuum created when Snipe designer and long-time Executive Secretary William (Bill) Crosby passed away.

Birney was a graduate of Princeton University and a businessman, owner of the West Hill Coal Company in Akron, Ohio. He used that business expertise to establish a smooth-running organization and office procedures for SCIRA.

His 17 years of service led to years of outstanding growth of the Snipe class and organization internationally.  In those memorable years, the Class expanded by about 400-500 boats per year, and many new fleets were established. 

Birney was a Fleet Captain and member of the Snipe Fleet #110 at the Portage Lakes Yacht Club in Ohio and owned boat #7878, which he shared with junior sailors, until 1968. He was also Commodore of PLYC in 1942. 

The Birney Mills Memorial Trophy, donated by the Portage Lakes Yacht Club, for the North American Snipe Championship was first awarded in 1973 in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

Although Birney had many other activities in his life such as alumni activities and Treasurer of a memorial scholarship fund for the University, his passion was SCIRA and the Snipe Bulletin. Birney died October 28, 1970.