A member of the original NIU Board of Trustees died at the age of 75 on Oct. 13, according to NIU Today.

James W. Myles was nominated for secretary by former NIU Trustee Manny Sanchez on Jan. 3, 1996. Myles had also served as the final chair of the Illinois Board of Regents, which governed NIU, Illinois State University and Sangamon State University, according to NIU Today.

Myles had been elected vice chair of the board before his appointment ended in 1999, according to NIU Today. He was the vice chair of the board’s Executive Committee and the Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Personnel Committee.

Myles also served as president of the Provident Foundation for almost two decades, according to NIU Today. He was also the president and CEO of Jim Myles and Associates, a health care consulting firm.

According to NIU Today, he was a member of the Chicago Urban League and Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He also received the Outstanding Trustee Award from the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education in 1994.