John A. James Jr., one of Mississippi Valley State University’s first faculty members, died Monday at the age of 96.
James was remembered as an integral part of MVSU’s history.
The school was still Mississippi Vocational College when James was recruited by the school’s first president, James White, to head the Science and Mathematics Department in 1951.
James would remain at the school until his retirement in 1992. In that time, he also served as director of the university’s Office of Institutional Research.
Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, described James, who was his advisor at MVSU, as a second father to him and his wife during their time at the university.
“He watched me all the way across the board,” said Jordan. “He was betting on me.”
Jordan said James was deeply and personally committed to the success of his students, especially those who were taking classes while working. James went so far as to specially schedule summer courses for students whose work commitments prevented them from taking a full course load so that they could graduate on schedule.
“I never had a science teacher that knew zoology and could teach it like he did,” said Jordan.
Dr. Roy Hudson is a former vice president for advancement at MVSU who also served as interim president for a time. Hudson said he knew James through his eldest son, Bernard.
“We were classmates from junior high through college, and very close friends. He was the son of a professor and I was the son of a sharecropper, but we had an amazing relationship.”
“Mr. James was and still is a legend at Valley,” said Hudson.
In addition to his founding role at the school, James was one of the earliest residents of the College Heights neighborhood, where Hudson currently resides.
“He was like a father and grandfather to many of us,” he said. “You always have regrets for a person passing, but it is an honor to have known him.”
Born March 3, 1920, to Johnnie James and Lois Bilbo-James in Pascagoula, James graduated as valedictorian of his junior high school class.
At the time, there was no high school open to blacks in Pascagoula. He graduated from Randolph High School in Pass Christian in 1940.
He attended Alcorn State University from 1940 until 1942.
James is survived by his wife Irene, whom he wed in Oct. 17, 1942, shortly before he was drafted into the Army during World War II. The couple had five sons.
He was honorably discharged in 1946 and enrolled at Tennessee State University in Nashville, from which he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Outside of his work at MVSU, James was heavily involved in his community.
He was part of a three-person committee that acquired the former Leflore County Training School to repurpose it as the L.T. Brazil Community Center.
James also chaired the Delta Authority Board for the Delta Correctional Facility and was treasurer of the Leflore County Democratic Executive Committee from 1994 until 2007.
James was a member of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church from the time that he moved to Itta Bena. He served as a deacon and, from 1954 onwards, a trustee and financial clerk.
James’ funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at MVSU’s H.G. Carpenter Auditorium.
• Contact Nick Rogers at 581-7235 or nrogers@gwcommonwealth.com.
