Philip N. James

Philip N. James, 77, a chemist who spent his career in industry and academia, died on June 28 in Sun City, Ariz.

James received a B.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1954 and earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1957.

He then moved to California, briefly joining the chemistry faculty of the University of California, Berkeley. After working as a research chemist for Lederle Laboratories and Technicolor in the early 1960s, James moved into academic administration at UC San Diego and the University of Southern California. In the 1980s, James worked as a strategic planner for Teledyne and Northrop before teaching management information systems at California State University, Long Beach, until his retirement in 1996. He and his wife, Barbara, then enjoyed touring the U.S. in their motor home.

James is survived by two sons, Greg and Larry, and two grandchildren. His wife died in 2009.