Benjamin Love Millikin (1851-1916) was a leading ophthalmologist in Cleveland, Dean of the Medical Department of Western Reserve University, and founding member of the Cleveland Medical Library Association. He was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, and received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1879. Millikin supplemented his education by interning at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, and visiting Europe’s premier ophthalmologic clinics. In 1882 he opened a private practice in Cleveland, and was attending physician at several hospitals and dispensaries in the city. In 1893 he became Professor of Ophthalmology at Western Reserve. While Dean there, from 1900 to 1912, Millikin saw the school through a period of notable progress, during which it entered the first rank of institutions of modern scientific medicine. In addition, he was Dudley Peter Allen’s closest associate in the planning and establishment of the Cleveland Medical Library Association. Millikin served as a Trustee from 1898 until his death, Vice-president between 1911-1913 and as President in 1914 -1915. He died in 1916 just as he had been re-elected for President, leaving behind a bequest to the Library of 25,000$ which was used to aid the purchase of the 122 feet frontage on Prospect Avenue for the Library.