In 1937, he graduated from Ohio State University and became interested in the pet food business while working with his father, Harry, a grain broker.
He learned that not even severe economic hardship would stop owners from buying food to feed their pets.
A self-taught animal nutritionist, Iams founded his company in 1946, and, by 1950, was creating his own recipes in his own plant in Dayton.
After completing his service, Iams decided to create high quality pet food, based on his original nutritional theories and research.
[1] Until a month earlier, he had lived in Sun City West, Arizona, where he retired in 1982 with his wife, the former Jane Landrum, who died in 1996.