James Staffer Herr (August 6, 1924 – April 5, 2012) was an American businessman who founded

Herr's Snacks Herr's is an American brand of potato chips and other snack foods produced and marketed by eponymous private American company Herr Foods Inc. based in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. While their products are sold primarily throughout the Eastern United ...

, which manufacturers potato chips and other snack foods. Herr's Snacks, which was founded in 1946, is headquartered in

Nottingham, Pennsylvania Nottingham is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in West Nottingham Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The community is located at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Pennsylvania Route 272 near the border with Ea ...

. Herr was born in 1924 in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

. He married Miriam "Mim" Hershey, in 1947. In 1951, Herr and his wife moved from Lancaster to Nottingham, Pennsylvania, where they raised five children. In 1946, Herr started a small potato chip company, with sales of approximately thirty dollars a week. Today, as of 2012,

now has more than 1,000 employees, with annual sales of approximately $100 million. The company has become one of the major employers in

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...

and southern Lancaster County. Herr voluntarily stepped down as chairman of Herr's Snacks on January 7, 2005, in favor of his son, J.M. Herr. Herr retained his seat on the company's board of directors and held the title of "Founder of the Herr Foods Company" until his death. In 1969, Herr was named Outstanding Pennsylvania Businessman of the Year. He became national president of the Potato Chip and Snack Food Association in 1979. Herr was also the recipient of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry's Businessman of the Year Award in 1997. In addition to his business, Herr was known for his work in community affairs and philanthropy. Herr served on the Chester County Board of School Directors for six years. He was elected to the school board of the

Oxford Area School District The Oxford Area School District is the K-12 public school district for the town of Oxford in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The school's new location was opened in September 2005. Schools * Jordan Bank Elementary School (Kindergarten) * Elk Ridg ...

for twelve years, including five years as the school board's president. Additionally, Herr became the director of the Building Campaign Chair for the Southern Chester County Health Services Medical Center and the Chester County Development Council. Jim Herr died at his home in

West Nottingham Township, Pennsylvania West Nottingham Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,722 at the 2010 census. History The township was originally disputed territory between Pennsylvania and Maryland, resolved eventually ...

, at 10:12 p.m. on April 5, 2012, at the age of 87. He had suffered from bouts of severe

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

and respiratory illnesses since the summer of 2011. He was survived by his wife, 5 children, 20 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herr, James 1924 births 2012 deaths American food company founders School board members in Pennsylvania Businesspeople from Lancaster, Pennsylvania People from Chester County, Pennsylvania 20th-century American businesspeople