Cornell University Athletics

He compiled a 14-year record at Cornell of 66-58-2 with four of his teams figuring in unofficial Ivy titles. Cornell topped the circuit in 1948, 1949 and 1953 and tied with Yale in 1954. The ’58 team (6-3 overall) had a 5-2 league record and tied with Princeton for second. From 1948 through 1951 his Big Red teams won 29 of 36 games with an 8-1 mark in both 1948 and 1949. Among other highlights of that period were three straight triumphs over Pennsylvania and a 20-7 victory over Michigan, Big Ten champion and Rose Bowl winner the previous season, in 1951. He was an assistant coach at Cornell under Ed McKeever for two years and then under head coach Carl Snavely from 1936 until his appointment as head mentor in 1947. During World War II he organized and directed the University’s vast physical training program and was head coach of baseball in 1943, 1944 and ’45. He was president of the American Football Coaches Association in 1957. James, who closed out his football career as a professional scout, is a 1930 graduate of Bucknell University and was inducted into the Bisons’ hall of fame as a player.