James McMahon Cox Jr. (June 27, 1903 – October 27, 1974), was an American businessman who became the chairman of

Cox Enterprises Cox Enterprises, Inc. is an American private company, privately held global conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, with approximately 55,000 employees and $21 billion in total revenue. Its major ope ...

and Cox Broadcasting Corporation after his father James M. Cox died in 1957. His charitable foundation supported causes including the Cox International Center (James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research) at the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

which promotes training and research for journalists internationally. Born in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, Cox graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in 1928 and joined the ''

Dayton Daily News The ''Dayton Daily News'' (''DDN'') is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises, Inc., a privately held global conglomerate headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, with approximately 55,000 employee ...

'' as a reporter, later becoming general manager and assistant publisher of the paper. After his father died in 1957 he took over leadership of the Cox business and initiated a series of acquisitions beginning with three small cable systems in rural Pennsylvania in 1962, setting course for the company to become a "cable-TV empire". In 1968 he bought

Manheim Auctions Manheim, Inc. is an automobile auction company, a subsidiary of Cox Automotive, a subsidiary of privately owned Cox Enterprises Cox Enterprises, Inc. is an American private company, privately held global conglomerate (company), conglomerate ...

, a wholesale used car auction business. When he died in 1974 at age 71, leadership of the company transferred to his two sisters: Barbara Cox Anthony and Anne Cox Chambers.

References

1903 births 1974 deaths American media executives Cox family Businesspeople from Dayton, Ohio Yale University alumni Dayton Daily News {{US-CEO-stub