Jesse Milan was born March 3, 1928 to Clarence W. Milan and Willie Mae Milan, at Depue, Oklahoma. Milan earned a B.S. in Education at the University of Kansas (KU), and graduate degrees at both the KU and Kansas State Teachers College in 1954 and 1969; he began his professional career with the Lawrence Public School District #497 (Lawrence, Kansas) as a physical education teacher and counselor. During the 1970s, Milan served both as an Assistant Professor of Education at Baker University (Baldwin City, Kansas), as well as the Director of Housing Opportunity for Kansas City Kansas, Department of Housing and Urban Development. He maintained his involvement in public housing throughout the 1970s and 1980s as an independent consultant through his own firm.
Milan was an active member of the Church of the Ascension, Kansas City, Kansas; he served in various capacities throughout the 1970s-1980s, including church warden and board member for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. Milan was also active in the Northeast (Kansas) Chapter of the Optimist Club throughout the late 1960s into the 1970s; he was appointed their Lieutenant Governor for the region in the late 1970s and served actively within the district through the 1990s.
Milan married Alversa Milan, with whom he had four children: Jesse Milan Jr., John Edward Milan, Julie Ann Milan, and Joy Lynne Milan.
From the guide to the Jesse Milan papers, 1950-1999, (University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library Kansas Collection)
