Jim Siler enrolled at Cumberland College, now University of the Cumberlands in the fall of 1968. He was recruited to play golf by Professor Norman Cox, head men's golf coach and professor of geology at Cumberland.
Remarkably, Siler did not lose an individual golf match during the fall and spring competition of his freshman year 1968-69. The streak of undefeated matches continued through the fall and spring seasons of his sophomore year 1969-70. He recorded a 69.93 scoring average in 1969 and a Cumberland career low scoring average of 68.75 in 1970. The schedule consisted of mostly matches with only a few tournaments during this time. All home matches for the team were held at the Williamsburg Golf Course.
In a 1970 match against Rio Grande University in Fallipolis, Ohio, Siler shot a 65, marking the lowest 18 hole score in competition held by any Cumberland golfer. The score also set a NAIA competitive scoring record for the Gallipolis course. Siler followed up the feat by shooting a 65 at the Williamsburg Golf Course against Union College later in the season, also a NAIA competitive scoring record for the course. Also, in a match against Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky, he shot a 68 for a NAIA competitive scoring record for the course.
During a 1970 practice round at the Williamsburg Golf Course, Siler shot 29 and 33 for a course record of 62 (ten under par) at the time.
Siler's teams compiled a two year record of 36-7. His score of 69 at Tansi Resort Golf Course in Crossville, Tennessee qualified him for the 1969 Naia National Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, although the Cumberland Golf Team did not qualify that year. Siler earned a return trip to the NAIA National Golf Tournament in 1970 by shooting a score of 70 at Tansi Resort Golf Course, this time the team would join him at nationals hosted by William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. At the national tournament, Siler shot 299 and earned NAIA All-American Honors by finishing in Fifth Place. He made a hole-in-one during the final round and his Cumberland Team finished 13th overall.
Siler left Cumberland College at the end of the spring semester of 1970 to attend Florida State University. However, he would immediately choose to enter the United States Air Force leading him on a twenty year distinguished military career working with strategic planning, upgrading ballistics, and various air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons programs. Reaching the final rank of Major, Siler's final assignment was in Great Falls, Montana where he was in command of the financial, budgetary and management analysis squadron for ICBM Operations.
While in the military, Siler earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Troy State University with Summa Cum Laude Honors. He later finished a masters degree at University of Southern California in 1980.
Siler resides in Middleburg, Florida with Kumari, his wife of thirty-seven years and with whom he has two children, a daughter, Dr. Kendra Siler-Marsiglio, and independent film maker, and a son, James K. Siler. He is the founder and CEO of two small private businesses in Orange Park, Florida.
