Biography.guide
Home › People › Entrepreneur › James Ling
Portrait of James Ling

James Ling

1922 – 2004

American businessman

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About James Ling

Lived 1922 – 2004 (aged 81). James Ling was an American entrepreneur.

James Joseph "Jimmy" Ling (December 31, 1922 – December 17, 2004) was an American businessman and former head of Ling-Temco-Vought corporation. While at its helm, Ling used LTV funds to purchase a large number of corporations, and was one of the more famous of the 1960s conglomerate managers.

Biography Ling was the son of a Catholic convert who later entered a Carmelite monastery. Ling's mother died when he was young, and he lived for a time with an aunt in Shreveport, Louisiana.

In 1956 Ling bought L.M. Electronics, followed by Altec Electronics in 1959 and Temco Aircraft in 1960. In 1961, he bought Chance Vought Aircraft, merging his interests into Ling-Temco-Vought. His empire fell apart after he acquired the money-losing Jones & Laughlin Steel Company in 1970. He had to sell subsidiaries to try to stanch the ensuing financial hemorrhage.

After antitrust issues arose, bankers forced Ling's resignation later in 1970. Ling formed several companies after his time at LTV, but none were as successful. His first comeback try, Omega-Alpha, went bankrupt in 1975.

Ling died of esophageal cancer at his Dallas, Texas home in 2004.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
James Joseph

People in James Ling's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Ling's

Frequently asked questions

Who was James Ling?

American businessman (1922–2004)

When was James Ling born?

James Ling was born on 31 December 1922 in Hugo.

When did James Ling die?

James Ling died on 17 December 2004 in Dallas.

What was James Ling's occupation?

James Ling was an entrepreneur.

What nationality was James Ling?

James Ling was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Ling

· Wikidata: Q6138085

· DBpedia: James Ling

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Ling. https://biography.guide/james-ling/

MLA: "James Ling." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-ling/.

Chicago: "James Ling." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-ling/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:33 UTC