King was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved with his family to Florida in 1945, where he became the first member of his family to graduate from high school[1] He attended Florida State University where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees.

[2] In 2008 The James E. King Life Sciences Building was opened on the Florida State University campus.

At the dedication ceremony then university president T. K. Wetherell had this to say about Senator King: Senator Jim King, a proud alumnus of this university, has been an enthusiastic and long-term supporter of Florida State who is dedicated to higher education and to advances in biomedical research, and it is therefore fitting that we are naming our wonderful new building in his honor.

In fact, Jim was instrumental in helping us to secure the funds for this essential facility.

It stands today as a testament to his regard for FSU and his commitment to our students and faculty and the citizens of this state, all of whom will benefit from the enhanced opportunities here for top-notch science education and research.