James J. Balten, Sr. born September 13, 1915 and graduated from Akron New York High School. During his time at the Normal College he was a member of the Phi Delta Pi fraternity and the Physical Education Club, held the position of lineman on the football team where he lettered in the fall of 1936, '37 and '38 and threw shotput for the Track and Field team (1938, '39). He graduated in 1939 with a Bacelor of Science degree in Physical Education. Balten served in the 505th Bomb Group during World War II (1944-1945), and returned to serve as a High School principal of Allen Park Public Schools (1946-1960) and Utica Community Schools (1960-1966) and finally retired from East Detroit Public Schools as a Human Resources Director. He was an active Rotarian for many years and died in 2013 at the age of 97 in Sterling, Michigan. The James Balten Sr. collection includes a letterman blanket for Track and Field and Football, and a pair of track shorts.