Goshen College mourns the death of Professor James S. Miller

GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen College President James E. Brenneman today sent the following statement to students, faculty and staff:

"It is with profound sadness that I inform you of the death this morning of Professor James S. Miller, 58, a professor of biology at Goshen College since 1980.

"The Goshen Police Department has issued a press release to the news media reporting that as the result of a home invasion robbery, Professor Miller and his wife, Linda, were attacked early on Oct. 9. Jim died at the scene and Linda was wounded, and was being treated at a regional hospital.

"Police are conducting an investigation into the death, so we encourage all members of the campus community to cooperate fully. Police have asked anyone with information in connection with the case to please contact the Goshen Police Department at (574) 533-8661 or the Michiana Crime Stoppers at (800) 342-STOP.

"Words cannot adequately convey our grief over the enormity of this tragedy. We offer our prayers and support to the Miller and Jeschke families and we ask that you please keep them in your prayers. We also will be holding in our prayers Professor Miller's students, colleagues, friends and alumni.

"In the coming hours we will pass along any information we receive about arrangements. We also will be contacting Professor Miller's students about arrangements being made for his classes.

"At 8 p.m. tonight, there will be a brief time of prayer and reflection for the campus community outside the south entrance to the Science Building to give all an opportunity to grieve and to pray for our brother and friend."

Professor James Steven Miller came to Goshen College to teach in 1980, the same year he completed his doctorate degree in medical biochemistry at Ohio State University. He received his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1975 from Bluffton (Ohio) University. The Goshen College Board of Directors granted Professor Miller tenure in June 1985. He primarily taught upper-level courses taken by students in nursing, pre-medical and other health-related tracks.

Professor Miller is survived by his wife, Linda, three children, his mother and other family members.

We do understand that this tragedy will be of interest to the news media as well as other members of this community. However, we hope that the news media will respect the privacy of the family and our campus community for the next few days. If further information is needed, please contact Richard R. Aguirre, director of the Public Relations Office, at (574) 535-7571 (office) or (574) 524-5946 or rraguirre@goshen.edu.

 —Information provided by Richard R. Aguirre

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Director of Public Relations Richard R. Aguirre at (574) 535-7571 (office) or (574) 524-5946 or rraguirre@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.