Loring McMillen (1906-1991) received the local level Pugsley Medal in 1955 for "staying with such an important dream as the Richmond town restoration and bringing to life 200 years of life on Staten Island." A New York Times article written about his life in 1988 described him as a "man for the ages on Staten Island." It was McMillen's contributions to local history that resulted in this article. Loring was born in Staten Island in 1906, eight years after the county became the fifth borough of New York. At that time, Staten Island consisted of small farms, and dirt roads.
He attended Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he majored in civil engineering, and he took courses in architecture at Columbia University.
One of McMillen's first forays into preservation was in 1932 when the Richmond County Clerk's and Surrogate's office in Richmond Town were slated for demolition. These buildings were built in 1848 and vacated after the county seat moved to St. George in 1920. When the county seat was moved they were left as a result of the combined efforts of McMillen, Davis, and Charles W. Leng. This marked the beginning of McMillen's efforts to preserve the rural heritage of Staten Island.
During the 1930s, the Staten Island Historical Society focused upon acquiring pieces reflecting the architectural and social acquisitions were carried out primarily by McMillen, who later gained the title of the borough's official historian. They serve as a public face of heritage in the island.