Harry James

John Henry James (June 20, 1881 - October 16, 1947) was an American football quarterback and manufacturer. He was the starting quarterback for Michigan's undefeated, national championship 1903 "Point-a-Minute" football team that outscored opponents 565 to 6. James later went into the manufacturing business. He was the founder of The Motor Foundry Co., a manufacturer of automobile parts in Detroit, and the James Motor Valve Company, which developed the innovative "James Valve" in the mid-1920s. He also served as the general manager of the Monarch Steel Castings Co., an innovator in the Solvay process. Early years James was born in Ohio in 1881. He was raised in Detroit and attended the Detroit University School. He was the captain of the school's football team during the 1900–1901 academic year. He was also captain of the track team during the 1899-1900 and 1900–1901 academic years. University of Michigan He enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1901. He was captain of the All-Freshman football team in 1901 and of the reserve football team in 1902. In 1903, and despite weighing only 142 pounds, James took over as the Wolverines' starting quarterback. At the start of the 1903 season, expectations were low, as the team had lost most of its starters, including the two leading scorers and starting quarterback Boss Weeks. With only eight veterans returning, team captain Curtis Redden wrote that "[n]o season in the history of Michigan football has opened with a gloomier outlook" than that of 1903.