James John Nance (19 February 1900 – 21 July 1984) was an American industrialist who became president of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation.
Nance began his career at the National Cash Register (NCR) in 1924, staying until 1927 when he joined General Motors' Frigidaire division.
While Nance had held informal talks with George W. Mason of Nash Kelvinator about a potential merger that would bring all the U.S. independent automakers under one corporate entity, formal discussions were never established.
Nance left Studebaker Packard in 1956 when the company was on the verge of insolvency, but not until he found the organization a safe-harbor relationship with airplane manufacturer Curtiss-Wright.
[citation needed] Following his retirement from Central National, Nance established his own consulting firm in Cleveland, Ohio.