James W. Cozad was born in Huntington, Indiana on February 10, 1927. He earned his B.S. from Indiana University in 1950. From the position of senior accountant at Marwick Mitchell & Company, he moved to the vice presidency of Hygrade Food Products Corporation and then to the office of treasurer at Philip Morris Inc. Later, he joined the Amoco Corporation and became chief financial officer and executive vice president, in Chicago, Illinois. At the apex of his career he was named chairman and chief executive officer of Whitman Corporation. Following his retirement, he became president of the board of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

He has served as a member of the School of Business Alumni Board, has been on the Dean’s Advisory Council since its inception. A wise and readily available counselor, this dynamic individual is one of the influential IU alumni who have developed outstanding relationships between the School of Business and the companies in which they have been involved. As a director for the IU Foundation, he has been an effective advisor and a spokesman in critical areas of fund raising. Deeply involved in the Chicago community, he has given significant time and energy to many philanthropic boards and community groups.

Cozad is the recipient of the Kelley School of Business' Academy of Alumni Fellowship in 1970, an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 1982, and the Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 1992, from Indiana University.