Northeastern University Athletics

Daniel W. Miles was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his achievements in the sport of track and field.

A three year letter winner in track and field, Miles set the indoor and outdoor record in the high jump. As fate would have it, he also spent four years in a Japanese prison camp during World War II.

Although known for the high jump, for which he established a long standing record of 6'5 in 1939, Miles was also invaluable in the long jump, high hurdles, javelin and the relay team. Miles captained Northeastern's undefeated track team in 1939. He also competed in National and New England AAU track meets and represented Northeastern throughout the East and as far west as Lincoln, Nebraska. In a given track meet, Miles had to be prepared for successive events at an accelerated pace. Miles once won the high jump, high hurdles and long jump, and placed second in the low hurdles to help Northeastern eke out a dual meet victory over Maine. Such was the standard bill-of-fare when Miles competed.

As a construction engineer for various national defense projects throughout the Pacific Islands, Miles was captured in the Philippines and spent more than four years in prisoner of war camps. A member of the Class of 1940, Civil Engineering, Miles survived his ordeal with the Japanese military to become an overwhelming success in the mechanical trade industry. He went on to become Department Manager of Mechanical Engineering with Seelye, Stevenson, Value & Knecht Inc., in Boston, and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.