James T. Stephens
James T. Stephens | |
---|---|
Born | |
Alma mater | Yale University Harvard Business School |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Chairman of EBSCO Industries |
Spouse(s) | Julie Stephens |
Children | 5 |
Parent(s) | Elton Bryson Stephens, Sr. Alys Robinson |
James T. "Jim" Stephens (born April 14, 1939) is an American billionaire heir, businessman and philanthropist from Alabama.
Early life[]
James T. Stephens was born on April 14, 1939, in Birmingham, Alabama.[3] His father, Elton Bryson Stephens, Sr., founded EBSCO Industries in 1944.[4][5][6] His mother, Alys Robinson, died in 1996.[4]
He graduated from Yale University, where he received a bachelor's degree in history in 1961.[3] He received an MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1964.[3]
Career[]
Stephens served as a lieutenant in the United States Army.[4] He joined the family business, EBSCO Industries, where he served as President from 1970 to 2005.[3] He served as its chairman from 2002 to 2017.[4][5]
He was inducted into the in 2008 and the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2012.[3]
Philanthropy[]
Stephens previously served as the chairman of the boards of trustees of the , the Altamont School, and Birmingham-Southern College.[3] Additionally, he served as the chairman of the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America.[3]
He donated US$2 million to the United Way of Central Alabama.[3] He has endowed scholarships at Jefferson State Community College, Troy University, and Birmingham-Southern College.[3] He has also made charitable contributions to the God's Outreach Center in Harpersville, Alabama as well as UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders.[3]
With his father, Stephens donated US$2.5 million to the University of Alabama at Birmingham.[6] They also donated US$15 million for the construction of the Elton B. Stephens Science Center on the campus of Birmingham–Southern College.[6]
Personal life[]
He is married to Julie Stephens.[3] They have four children, Bryson, Trent, Bart, and Alys.[3]
References[]
- ^ https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2014/07/08/which-birmingham-family-did-forbes-name-one-of.html[bare URL]
- ^ "Who are the richest Alabamians now that billionaire Marguerite Harbert has passed?". al.com. 2015-03-23. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Alabama Academy of Honor: James T. Stephens". www.archives.alabama.gov. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d America's Richest Families: Stephens family, Forbes
- ^ a b Connor Sheets, Who are the richest Alabamians now that billionaire Marguerite Harbert has passed?, The Birmingham News, March 23, 2015
- ^ a b c Michael Tomberlin, Stephens family may be better known in Birmingham for generosity than $4 billion wealth, The Birmingham News, July 10, 2014
- Living people
- 1939 births
- People from Mountain Brook, Alabama
- Yale University alumni
- Harvard Business School alumni
- United States Army officers
- Businesspeople from Birmingham, Alabama
- Philanthropists from Alabama
- Stephens family
- American billionaires