James Alfred, Perkins 1911-

James A. Perkins was born on October11, 1911 in Philadelphia, and attended the Germantown Friends' School. He graduated with high honors in 1934 from Swarthmore College, and received a doctorate in political science from Princeton in 1937. He remained at Princeton until 1941, first as an instructor of political science, later as an assistant professor and assistant director of the School of Public and International Affairs. During World War II., Perkins served in the Office of Price Administration and the Foreign Economic Administration. From 1945 to 1950, he was vice president of Swarthmore College. In 1950 he joined the Carnegie Corporation as an executive associate, and in 1951 became vice president. From 1951 to 1963, Perkins served as vice president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. From 1963 to 1969, he served as the seventh president of Cornell University

From the guide to the James Perkins papers, 1963-1969., (Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library)