At the 1968 Olympics he won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay and a silver in the individual 400 m.[2] James was born on November 6, 1947, in Mount Pleasant, New York, and took up track in seventh grade.

He attended White Plains High School, where he competed in the intermediate hurdles and the triple jump, and was a member of relay teams that set national records.

[3] A double medalist at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, James also set world records and won NCAA titles during his track career.

James added a gold medal at the Mexico City Games by running the third leg on the U.S. 4 × 400 m relay team, which set a world record of 2:56.16 seconds, which was eventually tied in 1988 but was not beaten until 1992.

[4] The head manager for Team USA at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships, James was chair of USATF's budget committee and had recently retired after 28 years as the Dean of Athletics and Recreational Programs and Services at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.