Forrest Donald James (1927-2019) was an ordained Methodist minister and academic who served as the acting president of the University of Rhode Island from 1967 to 1968 and President of Central Connecticut State University from 1968 to 1987.
[2][3] In 1945 enlisted in the United States Navy and served as a coxwain on a Landing Craft Infantry (LCI(R)-1030) in the Western Pacific.
[4] He served for three years in the Navy and began studies at Oklahoma City University, earning an A.B in English in 1951.
As an ordained Methodist minister, James served as a student pastor in Coyle, Oklahoma, and as an assistant pastor of the Congregational Church in Swampscott, Massachusetts from 1952 to 1958.
He served as an assistant dean in the School of Arts and Sciences at Miami University from 1958 to 1965.