Jerome Miles, who had a long and illustrious career in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, died Oct. 28, 2021, at his home in Round Hill, Virginia, at age 90.
Miles was born Jan. 17, 1931, on a farm near Turton in Spink County. He graduated from Doland High School in 1948 and attended South Dakota State College, where he majored in political science. He graduated with highest honors in 1952, was president of the senior class, a member of the debate team and was elected to Phi Kappa Phi.
Upon graduation he received a fellowship to attend Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, earning a master’s degree in public administration in 1953.
After two years in the Army, he joined the USDA as a management intern in Washington, D.C. He would continue in the federal government until retiring in 1986. He was recognized by Ronald Reagan with a Presidential Rank of Executive Award.
Miles transferred to the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service in 1956, becoming director of the Operations Analysis Staff for that agency in 1962. He served as director of finance and budget for the USDA from 1972 to 1978.
Miles served as controller for the Department of Energy from February 1978 until January 1979, when he was named deputy chief of administration for the U.S. Forest Service.
That had him overseeing human resource programs such as Job Corps, Youth Conservation Corps, Young Adult Conservation Corps and Senior Community Service Employment, which, at the time, involved 72,000 persons and a budget of $158 million.
In addition to his government service, Miles was a visiting lecturer at Syracuse University and New Mexico State and an adjunct professor at American University.
He received USDA’s Superior Service Award in 1969 and its Certificate of Merit in 1969, 1975 and 1976. In 1981, SDSU selected him as a Distinguished Alumnus.
Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Lou (Bell); and five children, Thomas (Suzanne), Kerry (David) Topel, Stephen, Ann (Jack) Taylor and Sheila (JP) Bridges; a daughter-in-law, Phyllis Miles; 16 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, David.
