Means, James

Person

Dates

Existence: 1853 - 1920

Biography

James Means was a Dorchester, Massachusetts born shoe manufacturer and aviation pioneer. He entered into the shoe manufacturing industry in Brockton, Mass. in 1878 and formed a partnership with his younger brother Charles J. Means in 1883 as James Means and Company located in Boston. The company popularized the $3 shoe. James etired from manufacturing in 1893 but retained ownership of James Means trademark. He formed the James Means Company in Kittery, Maine to sell trademarks from 1900 to 1904. He wrote on problems of man flying and edited the Aeronautical Annual.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

James Means papers

FOUND IN: Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School

Collection Identifier: Mss:641 1869-1965

Scope and Contents:

Letter books (1891-1904), scrapbook of advertising forthe $3 shoe (1883-1887), minutes of James Means Company (1900-1904), manuscripts, and letters. Includes scrapbook of James H. Means, James Means's father, and materials collected by his son, James Howard Means, for the publication of his book "James Means and the Problem of Manflight during the Period 1882-1920." There is one letter from the Wright brothers (1903) and two from Orville Wright (1921, 1942).