Look Who it Was Random video

Local hat shop remembers former President George H.W. Bush as loyal customer and friend

273 views · Published 10 December 2018 · 2:32 · Indexed 13 October 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2018 · News & Politics

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CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A local store owner has special memories of the late President George H.W. Bush because he made many of President Bush's hats.

Walking into Batsakes Hat Shop, it's easy to get a sense of who else has shopped there.

Gus Miller said, "He called me up when he came into town. He surprised me when he came in the shop."

Miller is one of the last old-time hat makers in the country. Some of his most memorable customers include the late opera legend, Luciano Pavoratti, baseball stars Johnny Bench and Joe Torre and then-president Ronald Reagan, who even sent a White House letter of thanks.

President George H.W. Bush topped the list.

"He was a wonderful man. I made a lot of hats. I made some for his son too. The funny thing is, both of them, George W. and senior, they wear the same size," Miller said.

Miller's hat connection to Bush began when a mutual friend told Gus Bush's hat size so he could send one.

Miller said, "He called me back and said, 'I can't believe it. How could you know my size?'"

The rest is hat history. He made eight to ten hats for the president. The friendship and hat-making continued after Bush left office. Miller said the preference was for western-style hats.

"He put a fedora on, but he said, 'No, I'll take the western hat because in the fedora I look like Gorbachev," Miller recalled.

The hat maker came to America from Greece when he was 17 years old and said the key to his success is being nice to everybody. Miller will soon celebrate his 68th year in the hat business.

The shop was started by his two uncles in 1907.

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