born Dec. 23, 1856, Durham, N.C., U.S.
died Oct. 10, 1925, New York, N.Y.
U.S. tobacco magnate and philanthropist.
He and his brother Benjamin (1855–1929) entered the family tobacco business. In 1890 James became president of the American Tobacco Co., which controlled the entire U.S. tobacco industry until antitrust laws caused it, in 1911, to be broken into several companies that would become the principal U.S. cigarette makers. He oversaw the family's contributions to Trinity College in Durham, which was renamed Duke University .