About James C. Morris

James C. "Jim" Morriss was born in 1916 in the small Cass County town of Douglassville, Texas. Jim first attended school in the one-room schoolhouse in that town and then moved on to high school in Linden, Texas, before leaving home for College Station and Texas A&M College. He was a distinguished member of the Corps, serving in various leadership positions and graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1938.

After a year providing engineering support for the Construction of a new high school in East Texas, Jim moved west to California, joining a growing technical team at the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA). The talents of the young engineer with the Texas drawl was soon recognized, and with the prospect of war looming, he assumed a critical role in the design and operation of a plant devoted to war production. Frozen as a civilian deemed by his employer as essential to the war effort, he resolved to make a significant contribution to the war effort from his position at ALCOA. The production of certain aluminum components, including tubing necessary for the high-altitude flight of the B-29 Superfortress, was assigned to Jim. Ultimately, this aircraft was critical to ending the war in the Pacific.

Jim had married his long-time sweetheart Gladys Smith in 1941. This was the beginning of a 55-year partnership. In 1955 Jim and Gladys moved their young family north to the San Francisco Bay Area, and Jim joined Smith-Blair, a relatively new company producing fittings for water utilities serving the post-war housing boom. As head of engineering for the company, Jim brought his commitment to innovation in both design and manufacturing to the company. He had the opportunity to return to East Texas in 1963 to lead the expansion of Smith-Blair at its new location in Texarkana, Texas. After the company was acquired by Rockwell, he stayed on to oversee the consolidation of Smith-Blair’s product lines with those from other Rockwell companies.

In 1975 Jim left Rockwell, and together with Gladys, founded JCM Industries, Inc. in 1976. Founded on a commitment to innovation, sound engineering, and exceptional customer service, the company grew to become a recognized leader in the water works industry.

Jim died in 1996, but the company that he and his wife established continued to grow. The original team at JCM consisted of only Jim and Gladys, their son-in-law Ron Collins, and two employees. Today JCM employs over 160. From the first relatively simple product sold to Magnolia, Arkansas, the company has grown to provide a diverse and highly engineered product line to a global market. Jim’s accomplishments and contributions extended well beyond the walls of his own company. He served as the President of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce from 1970 to 1971. He was a Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop. He was inducted into the Paul Harris Fellowship of Rotary for his dedicated community and world service. He was recognized by the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association as the Man of the Century for his contributions to the water pipeline industry.

Throughout his professional life, Jim was committed to the personal and professional growth of those who worked for him. This growth occurred through education, experience, and mentoring. He sought out the talented and those willing to learn, encouraged their advancement, and instilled in them the same commitment to innovation and excellence that he brought to JCM Industries, his industry, and his community.