[1] James was born Arthur David Giangiacomo on March 14, 1912, in Rhodesdale, Ohio, a former mining town in Belmont County.
James was the second oldest of seven children (Grace, Felix, Arthur, Elizabeth, Leona, Lilian, Clara, and Vincent "Vince", according to the 1920 Census for Wheeling Township, Belmont County).
He later attended a larger two-room school in Uniontown near Saint Clairsville, Ohio, for third to eighth grades.
After completing his surgical residency, James was accepted as a Fellow at Memorial Hospital in New York City.
His fellowship began July 1, 1942, but six weeks later he was called to military service for World War II.
He remained at OSU for the rest of his career, working his way up to full professor and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology.