The Personal Materials, 1970-2007 (.5 cubic ft. in 1 box) includes Miles’ resume, academic correspondence, awards, and personal information, such as academic and other correspondence, programs, notices, and clippings in which he is named.
The CMU Materials, 1977-2006 (Scattered, .5 cubic ft. in 1 box) includes meeting minutes and reports of various university committee and task force of which Miles was an active member or served as chair. The series has three sub-series: Materials, Related Materials, and Teaching Materials. The Materials, 1970-2005 and 2007 (.75 in 2 boxes) include departmental procedures, reviews, reports, correspondence, meeting minutes, and awards. The Related Materials includes enrollment data, 1975, and meeting minutes of two mathematics committees, 1975-2001 (scattered), which are indirectly related to the department.
Teaching Materials, 1970-2007 (2.75 cubic ft. in 6 boxes) include: Miles’ syllabi, tests, teaching notes, and related materials for all of the Mathematics, Statistics, and Honors courses he taught at CMU, 1970-2007. Miles filed them in chronological order, which is how they were maintained during processing.
There are three photographs in the entire collection: one of CMU orientation staff, 1984 (Box 2), and two of CMU Dept. of Mathematics chairmen, 2007 (Box 3).
Processing Note: All student lists and grades with social security numbers and student papers were removed from the collection during processing due to privacy laws.
Biography:
Thomas J. Miles earned his B.S. (1963) and M.S. (1964), both in Mathematics from Illinois State University. In 1970 he earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Missouri-Columbia. After student teaching at both universities, Miles worked as a visiting lecturer in 1970 at Westminster College in Missouri before he was hired later that year by the Department of Mathematics at Central Michigan University (CMU) as an Assistant Professor. At CMU he was promoted to Associate Professor in 1974.
While at CMU, Miles served in a number of administrative positions including: Chair of the Department of Mathematics, 1974-1976; Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, 1976-1978; Acting Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, 1978-1980; Acting Vice Provost for Academic Administration, 1980-1982; Acting Chair, Department of Mathematics, 1997-1998; General Education Coordinator, 1994-1996 and 1999-2002, and Interim Chair, Department of Mathematics, 2004-2005.
Miles has over 40 publications to his credit. He taught over 6000 students in 35 different classes. Also, Miles served on numerous committees and taskforces, as well as professional associations and committees. In 1994, Miles was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by CMU. He also received the Michigan Association of American Distinguished Service Award in 2004.
Miles taught Sunday School at First Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant for at least 20 years. He is also an active Rotarian.
Miles retired from CMU in 2007.