Ed Leigh McMillan started out to be a good country lawyer but became “Mr. Forester” because of his leadership in the lumber industry.
At an early age, McMillan developed a great respect for the law and history, a devotion that he clung to throughout his life. McMillan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1909 and a Bachelor of Law degree in 1910 from The University of Alabama. McMillan moved to Brewton, married Iva Lee Miller, and began to practice law. In 1914, he became a legal advisor to the T.R. Miller Mill Company Incorporated of Brewton. McMillan became president of Wiggins Estate Company, director of Cedar Creek Store Company, president of the old Citizens Bank, and leader of the First Methodist Church. He was also the state chairman of the Liberty Loan Committee in World War I, a member of the State Banking Board from 1935-1949, president of the National Alumni Association for The University of Alabama, and chairman of the War Finance Committee for Alabama from 1941-1946. In 1950, McMillan was named president of T.R. Miller Mill Company, becoming the head of the oldest lumber business in continuous operation in Alabama. He was quick to recognize the advantages of the scientific forestry approach to the timber industry; advocate the protection of forests from fire, disease, and insect infestation; and utilize artificial reforestation by planting seedlings on a commercial basis. McMillan played a key role in the creation of Conecuh National Forest.
