The new school year starts with some unsettling news with news that long-time psychology professor Dr. James St. James killed his family when he was just 15.
The news came to Millikin from a Texas newspaper called the Georgetown Advocate. A reporter started by trying to find James Wolcott, the boy who in 1967 killed his family. The search led the reporter to Dr. St. James.
The result of the story has been a rash of stories about St. James and media from the Chicago Sun Times to the Today Show have visited Millikin.
The 61-year-old psychology professor shot his parents and sister when he was only 15 years old in 1967. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity. St. James has been teaching at Millikin for 27 years. He changed his name to James St. James after the trial and sentence he served in a mental institution.
St. James finished his undergraduate degree and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Since then, he has worked at Millikin.
Wolcott confessed to the murders on Aug. 4 of 1967. An all-male jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on Feb. 2, 1968. Wolcott served six years in Rusk State Hospital before being declared sane.
Millikin University has been questioned as to whether or not St. James will remain at the school. Millikin issued a statement in regards to the questions.
“Dr. James St. James joined the Millikin faculty in 1986. For 27 years, he has taught a variety of courses at Millikin, served in various leadership roles and built a successful academic career receiving academic awards, including the 1997 Teaching Excellence and Leadership Award. Hundreds of alumni and students have expressed support for Dr. St. James and his continued role as teacher and mentor at Millikin. Dr. St. James is scheduled to teach at Millikin this fall,” the release said.
“Because your thoughts, feelings, hopes and concerns matter to us, we thought it was important to give you this information directly. Millikin University stands by Dr. St. James because he has served Millikin students well for 27 years. Given the traumatic experiences of childhood, his efforts to rebuild his life and obtain a successful professional career have been remarkable.”