Fob James
| Fob James | |
|---|---|
| 48th Governor of Alabama | |
|
In office January 16, 1995 – January 18, 1999 |
|
| Lieutenant | Don Siegelman |
| Preceded by | Jim Folsom, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Don Siegelman |
|
In office January 15, 1979 – January 17, 1983 |
|
| Lieutenant | George McMillan |
| Preceded by | George Wallace |
| Succeeded by | George Wallace |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Forrest Hood James, Jr. September 15, 1934 Lanett, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party |
Democratic (before early 1970s, 1978–1994) Republican (early 1970s–1978, 1994–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Bobbie Mooney |
| Children | Tim James, Forrest H. James III |
| Profession | Football player, civil engineer |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1956–1958 |
| Rank | Second lieutenant |
| Unit | Corps of Engineers |
Forrest Hood "Fob" James, Jr. (born September 15, 1934), is an American politician, and civil engineer. He served two terms as the 48th Governor of Alabama, from 1979 to 1983 as a Democrat, and again from 1995 to 1999 as a Republican.
James was born in Lanett, Alabama, the son of Rebecca (Ellington) and Forrest Hood James, Sr. After graduation in 1952 from Baylor School, a private high school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. James played football (1952–1955) at Auburn University, where he played for head coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan. In 1955 James was named All-American as a halfback. He received a civil engineering degree in 1957. He played professional football in Canada as a member of the Montreal Alouettes during the 1956 season and entered the Army to serve two years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
From 1958–59, James was a heavy construction engineer with Burford-Toothaker Tractor Company in Montgomery, AL. In 1959, his second born, Gregory Fleming James, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Needing money to pay Greg's medical bills, James left Montgomery in 1960 to take a job as construction superintendent with Laidlaw Contracting Company, a road-paving company in Mobile, AL. In 1961, the James decided that he could earn a living from the manufacture of plastic-coated barbells. In 1962, he founded Diversified Products Inc., a manufacturer of fitness equipment known for the plastic-disc barbells filled with "Orbatron," which DP patented. The company name had been changed to "Diversified Products Corporation" after originally being called Health-Disc Inc. In addition to physical fitness equipment, the company manufactured ballasts and counterweights for farms, industry and trucking. James founded DP in his basement and, over the next 15 years, the company ultimately grew to employ 1,500 people with plants in Opelika, AL, Los Angeles, and Toronto, with sales of about $1 billion annually. James served as the CEO of DP until it was bought by the Liggett Group in 1977.
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