E. Walter Miles

Elijah Walter Miles (usually published as E. Walter Miles; May 4, 1934 – July 8, 2020) was an American political scientist and scholar of constitutional law. He specialized in the Constitution of the United States and the judicial process. He spent more than 30 years at San Diego State University, where he served as head of the political science department. When he joined that faculty, he was the only Black professor at San Diego State University. The university librarian Robert Fikes, Jr. termed Miles "the Godfather of Black Faculty" at SDSU, and he was noted for his activism as well as his academic contributions.

Early life and education Miles was born on May 4, 1934, in Hearne, Texas. He had 7 siblings. After his time in Korea he attended Indiana University Bloomington for graduate school, earning a master's degree in government, the American Political Science Association Committee on the Status of Blacks in the Profession, as well as being a member of the APSA's governing board. Miles was also involved in activism and community service outside of academia, including being the chair of the San Diego Urban League board, chair of the San Diego chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and a member of its national board, and an appointed member of the California State Board of Education. and coauthored a prominent report on the topic at SDSU.

Miles retired in 1998, and he died on July 8, 2020.