Charles Ronald (Chuck) Middleton

After going to FSU and graduating with a history major and getting married (remember when people did that in their early 20's?), I went to Duke and got an MA and a PhD in History.

Thus my base career path has been as a professor of History at various places, though my primary responsibilities over the years shifted from being a professor to a mix of teaching and administration to exclusively administration over the past 25 years.

First job was at the U. of Colorado, Boulder where I stayed 27 years and ended up as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for the last 8.

Then to Bowling Green State University in Ohio for three years as Provost and VP for Academic Affairs followed by three years living in Rockville, MD while I was Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University System of Maryland.

Currently, since 2002, I serve as President of Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Along the way I got a divorce and came out. My life partner and I have been together for going on 33 years. Between us we have 5 children and 4 grandchildren. I'd guess that you would say that ours is a very atypical family. Except maybe not so much in current America.

I cannot imagine that I am the only member of our class who is
a Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual or Transgendered person. When I first noted that I am gay on this site I hoped that someone, even one person, would write to me privately to tell me their story. Sadly, not a word. Is our generation, even in the age of the end of DOMA and the end of Don't Ask Don't tell so very afraid and closeted that silence is preferable to just being ourselves? Or, perhaps more likely, is it the case that LGBT folks don't read this site? If you ARE reading, and if you know someone who ought to do so as well who are themselves LGBT or have children who are, have them contact me. Privacy assured and I'd love to hear from them, just like I have heard from so many of you, including my very best friends from the class who prove to me regularly how progressive they were and are. For that I am eternaly grateful.

Overall I'd say that life has been good to me and in perusing the biographies here it seems like it has been to most of you as well with the caveat that we still are missing too many from our large class here. Dare we hope to learn more from them in due course? I count on it.

Well, that's enough. I read this site only irregularly, so if you are moved to write me, try my other address at cmiddleton@roosevelt.edu

I transferred from Palmetto High School half way through the 11th grade. So I have a very short history of friendships at HHS, mostly limited to band (marching and concert) and the nerdy set in Literati.
But as President I ran into a couple of my freshmen who graduated last year from Palmetto. It was an instant bonding experience. :-)

You know who you are. You were important to me then, and you have grown in status ever since, whether or not we write regularly, which a few of you do, or only episodically which is our generation's wont. So thanks for remembering my BD annually or letting me know of your comings and goings and of your children and grandchildren. And for keeping me in your lives. It matters. Lots!