August 22, 1927 –  January 12, 2003 James graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas in 1944. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1950 from Baylor University. He embarked on a career as publisher of newspapers in Altus, OK., Laredo, TX., Clearwater, Fla., Fort Worth, TX., and Kansas City, MO. After retirement from the Kansas City Star he signed on as president & chief executive officer of the San Francisco Newspaper Agency, the joint business & publishing arm of the morning San Francisco Chronicle & the afternoon San Francisco Examiner.