James E. Casey

James E. Casey (March 29, 1888 – June 6, 1983) was an American businessman, known for being the founder of the American Messenger Company, today known as UPS.

In 1907, 19-year-old James Casey founded the American Messenger Company in Seattle, Washington. He served as president, CEO and chairman. Claude Ryan was his partner and his messengers were his brother George and other teenagers. His motto was "best service and lowest rates". Deliveries were made on foot, bicycle, or motorcycle.

He died on June 6, 1983, in a hospital-nursing home in Seattle.

Background Casey was born in Pickhandle Gulch near Candelaria, Nevada, the son of Irish immigrants. The family followed his grandfather to Candelaria but after the town's boom went bust, his father, Henry James Casey, moved the family to Seattle. He consistently gave credit to his mother, Annie E. Casey, for holding their family together after Jim's father died due to pulmonary disease. As a youngster delivering packages on the Seattle streets, Jim Casey was exposed to the excesses of a bustling city in the midst of the Klondike Gold Rush. He credited the guidance of a strong mother and support of his family with keeping him grounded.

On August 28, 1907, Casey founded the American Messenger Company with Claude Ryan in Seattle, Washington, capitalized with $100 in debt. An account described that the pair, to gain competitive advantage over nine competing messenger companies, pasted white placards all over town to advertise their services. The charged anywhere from 5 cents per message, depending on the distance, and a 25-cents hourly rate. It is said that the one of the early innovations of the company was the consolidation of packages. The idea was that, instead of having each department store run their own fleet, the company offered a cheaper and more efficient service by consolidating the deliveries of four to five different stores.