James M. Middleton
1963
While at Jeff, Jim was a member of the National Forensic League,
Student Council, HI-Y, all school play, basketball, intra-mural league,
speech/debate team, special chemistry, physics, and math programs.
Jim received a B.S. degree in management from Indiana University and
obtained an MBA at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He finished
four Air Force service schools, including the Air War College and
Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Residence. Jim retired in 1988
from the U.S. Air Force as a Colonel after serving 21 years including
two tours at the Pentagon. He served in a variety of positions including
the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force; Commandant Officer
Training School; executive officer to a major air command; commander/
director of Plans and Technology; and Manpower programmer/planner.
Jim joined United Services Automobile Association in 1988 which
serves military forces worldwide, retirees and families. Jim has held
several key positions in the company and in March 2000 was promoted to
president and chief executive officer of the Life Insurance Company. Jim
also serves on various industry committees which include Life Office
Management Association, American Council of Life Insurers, Life
Insurance Marketing Association and the Texas Association of Life &
Health Insurers. He is involved in the San Antonio Fine Arts &
Symphony, United Way Campaign, Holiday Cheer Program, Junior Achievement
fund raising event, Read to Children, and Habitat for Humanity Home
Building Program.
Jim is former president of the Comal Independent School District
board of Trustees and former president of the high school athletic
booster club. He has coached soccer, baseball and basketball.
John Robert “Bob” Miller
1940
While at Jeff Bob was a member of the basketball and track teams and
student manager of the football team. He was also active in student
organizations. Upon graduation from Jeff he attended the University of
Arizona on a scholarship for 3 years. In 1942 Bob enlisted in the United
States Marines Officer Training Program and later transferred to the
United State Naval Aviation Program where he graduated as pilot with the
rank of Ensign and was later promoted to Lt. JG.
After military service he enrolled at Purdue where he earned a BS and
MS in Education. He taught at Jefferson High School teaching
aeronautics and health. He was also an assistant coach in basketball,
football and track and supervised the boys intramural sports program.
In 1948 Bob moved to Delphi High School and was their first varsity
football coach, varsity basketball coach and an assistant in track. He
taught health, physical education and general science and was the
athletic director. Bob then moved to LaPorte and taught biology and
continued coaching. Bob then moved through the chairs of counseling,
assistant principal, associate superintendent and superintendent. He
retired in 1985 after 33 years in the school corporation.
Bob was active in professional and community affairs. He was elected
to the executive committee, North Central Division, of the Indiana State
Teachers Association; was on the executive committee of the Indiana
Association of Junior-Senior High School Principals and was president of
the Indiana Public School Study Council. Bob was a charter member of
the Purdue North Central Chancellor’s Advisory Board.
Bob was named to the Indiana Silver Anniversary All-State basketball
team. He later was named to the Arizona Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary
Team, which included both high school and college players.
Delinda “Denny” Fee
1969
Delinda was in the last graduating class from the “Old” Jefferson
High School. While at Jeff, Delinda was active as a Junior Varsity and
Varsity cheerleader, served on the Cheerleader’s Advisory Board,
volunteered as an office scout, was a member of the Broncho Broadcasters
Club, the Sunshine Society and Student Council.
After graduation from Jefferson High School Delinda attended
Lafayette Beauty Academy. Upon receiving her beauty license she worked
at the Beauty Walk Hair Salon and later taught cosmetology at Lafayette
Beauty Academy.
Delinda’s work in daycare began over 30 years ago. She says that
providing daycare for children is her passion in life. Denny hopes that
each and every child that has been a part of her life has something
positive to remember from their stay at “Denny’s Daycare.” Denny
believes that children have a way of always bringing a smile to your
face and that makes for a great day on the job! Denny also feels blessed
to have nurtured hundreds of children passing thru her door and has
watched many of them grow into adulthood.
Richard Stewart Halstead
1965
Upon graduation from Jefferson High School, Richard attended The
Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1970. He also attended
Purdue University and the Ontario College of Art. He apprenticed at the
Stevens, Biondi and Diccico Advertising Studio, and with the Portrait
Artist Gustav Likan, in Chicago.
Richard taught fine art at the Ontario College of Art and later at
the American Academy of Art in Chicago. In 1983 he founded the Halstead
Portrait and Figure Workshop at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in
Evanston, Il., and devoted his energies entirely to portraiture work and
teaching figurative art.
Richard has exhibited in galleries and group exhibitions in Canada
and the U.S., such as; The Oil Painters of America (as a signature
member), the Washington Society of Portrait Artists at the US Capitol
Building, Ontario Society of Artists, The Portrait Institute in New
York, the Montreal Museum of Art, the Ontario Museum of Art, the Ditmar
Gallery of Northwestern University, Portraits Inc. (New York), the
Chicago Civic Center, and the State of Illinois Building.
His paintings are in the collections of Yale University, The National
Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, Blue Cross Blue
Shield, Purdue University, University of Melbourne (Australia), Baird
and Warner, University of Toronto, Ryerson Steel/Inland Steel, Dartmouth
College, University of Kentucky, and Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s
Medical Center.
Some of Richard’s portrait subjects include Governor of Illinois
George Ryan, Roman Catholic Prelate and Archbishop of Chicago Joseph
Cardinal Bernardin, President of Field Enterprises and Chairman of the
Boards of the Chicago Art Institute and Terra Museum of Art Marshal
Field V, and Purdue University President Dr. Steven Beering.
Richard H. Crosser
1956
While a student at Jefferson High School, Dick was Sophomore Class
Vice President and Junior Class Vice President. He was involved in Hi-Y,
Student Council, J-Club, Red and Black Revue, Cross Country, Wrestling,
Baseball, Purdue Legislature, and Boy’s State.
Dick attended Indiana University through a scholarship/internship
program sponsored by National Homes Corp., then the nation’s largest
homebuilder. After graduating in 1960, he spent 15 years with National
Homes, leaving as Vice President/Regional Manager.
In 1975, he joined Deluxe Homes as Vice President and General
Manager. Seven years later he bought controlling interest and grew a
homebuilding company becoming Indiana’s largest builder. In 1993, the
company went public emerging as Crossmann Communities, Inc. In 2001
Crossmann became America’s 12th largest homebuilder. Crossmann then
merged with Beazer Homes.
While President of Crossmann Communities, he was involved with
Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, Make a Wish Foundation, American
Heart Association and initiated the Crossmann Communities Scholarship
Fund, now called the Richard H. Crosser Memorial Fund.
Dick was committed to giving back to communities where he worked,
built homes, and lived. That commitment to giving back is continued by
his family through the Crosser Family Foundation, established in 2002.
The foundation has contributed to St. Vincent’s Children Hospital in
Indianapolis, Boys and Girls Club in Noblesville, Third Phase in
Noblesville thru the Legacy Fund and Jefferson High School’s “Build the
Future” program.