Bio

B.J. McGillis, ’35, was the first full-blooded Indian to graduate from Midland Lutheran College, a fact of which both he and the College are very proud.  B.J. was not only a standout in Warrior athletics but also a dedicated student.  He went on to graduate school at both the University of Nebraska and Colorado State, where he earned a master’s degree.  It is for his achievements as a high school coach and teacher that he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.  B.J. taught and coached at Mt. Edgecumbi High School in Sitka, Alaska.  There he coached both track and basketball, but it was as a cross-country coach that he achieved his greatest distinction.  His teams earned nine consecutive cross country championships.  His influence on students was so great that they began a successful drive to name the high school gymnasium after him.