Three Notable Alumni Honored at WCU's Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration

Three notable West Chester University alumni will be honored on Thursday, Jan. 21, at the University's annual brunch celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year's Drum Majors for Justice are David T. Lindenmuth '91, Kendrick Maurice Mickens Sr. '90, and Leonard W. Miller '56. The brunch takes place from 10 a.m. to noon in Sykes Student Union Ballrooms on West Rosedale Avenue. Tickets are $35 and are available at the ticket window, Sykes lower level; call 610-436-2266. Patrons are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items that the Social Work Department will distribute to a local charity.

David T. Lindenmuth '91 of Woodstown, N.J., achieved success in education and politics as the first African American Superintendent of Oldmans Township (N.J.) School District and the first African American to run for and win election to a county-wide office, serving as a Salem County Freeholder. In addition, he is a former Woodstown Borough Councilman.

After earning his bachelor of science in mathematics education from WCU, he went on to earn a master's in school counseling and a master's in school leadership from Wilmington University.

As Superintendent of the Oldmans Township School District, he chairs the public safety and shared service committee and is a member of the administrative committee. He has overseen the district's achievement of making adequate yearly progress (AYP, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Law) three years in a row - the first time the school district achieved AYP. He is currently serving his second year as deputy director of the board.

Lindenmuth previously worked as administrator, counselor and math teacher in the Salem City School District, where, as head football coach at Salem High School, he led his teams to six straight playoff appearances and two conference championships in his eight years. In the community, Lindenmuth is a current member of Rotary International, member of the board of trustees of the Salem County Center for Autism, member of the Salem County Good Scout Selection Team, a member of Morning Star Baptist Church, and a former member of the board of trustees of Calvary Community Development Corporation.

Lindenmuth and his wife Christine have a son and three daughters.

Kendrick Maurice Mickens Sr. '90, had a major impact on the lives of many of West Chester University's multicultural students as the University's former associate director of Multicultural Affairs. He is now helping students achieve academic success at Delaware County Community College as director of their Office of Student Success & First Year Experiences.

A Philadelphia native, Mickens was the first male in his family to earn a bachelor's degree and his success has inspired a large number of students to effectively address academic, career, financial, social and personal issues that might impede student success and goal attainment.

After earning his master's degree at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Mickens embarked upon a career in higher education to help college students find success in academics and their respective career fields. A true role model, he then earned his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Wilmington University, modeling behavior he hoped to evoke in his students.

In addition to his role at West Chester and Delaware County, Mickens served at the State University of New York, Cortland Campus (SUNY Cortland), building a wealth of knowledge on student issues, including access, attrition, retention, and most importantly, degree completion.

Mickens is married to Sherrell (Washington) Mickens '93, who is also driving student success as an elementary school principal in the William Penn School District in Pennsylvania. He lives with his wife, Sherrell (Washington) Mickens '93, and children in Springfield, Pa.

Leonard W. Miller '56 of Washington Crossing, Pa., together with his wife Rose '56, set a record as the first black-owned NASCAR racing team to win a track championship in the organization's history (2007).

Miller founded and co-owns Miller Racing Group, a team that in the past had been recognized as one of the top 60 teams in the world at the international racing level. His book Silent Thunder inspired a screenplay (co-written with his son) that received fifth prize overall from 1,700 entries in the 2007 American Screenwriters Association International Screenplay competition. Miller was inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame in 1976.

After earning his bachelor of science in secondary education, Miller achieved a number of other "firsts." He was the first black director of education at the New Jersey State Prison in Rahway and the first educator to introduce black history courses into the United States prison system.

Miller was the first black Manpower consultant to the assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development at the federal level. He was the chief of field operations for New Jersey's Rural Manpower Program operating out of the governor's office. He founded Dynamic Programs, Inc., a government consulting firm that grossed up to $18 million a year with offices in Trenton, NJ., Syracuse, N.Y., and Washington, D.C.

Previously, Miller had served as an educational specialist in the U.S. Army and had been was a former senior research scientist at the Graduate School of Social Work at New York University.