Java server won't run after reboot

[Michael Sullivan]

First off, I'm not sure if this is a java problem or a Linux problem. 
If you think it's a Java problem, tell me and I'll send this question to
a Java list.   I wrote a java server that I want to start every time my
server PC restarts.  I created a /usr/local/classes directory and copied
Server.class and the support classes it uses there.  Id cd'd to
/usr/local/classes and issued a java Server from there and it works
fine, but if I issue a java /usr/local/classes/Server from anywhere
outside the /usr/local/classes directory it tells me

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: /usr/local/classes/Server


I don't think this is a java problem because it doesn't give me this error if I ask to run the Server from within /usr/local/classes.  I've tried editing rc.local to say "cd /usr/local/classes" and then "java Server" and I've tried calling an executable batch file from rc.local that cd's to the /usr/local/classes directory and then "java Server", which works from the command line, but doesn't work after reboot.  Can anyone help me?