James C. Mays

James C. Mays
Born (1953-11-19) November 19, 1953
Nationality Canadian
Occupation Historian

James C. Mays (born November 19, 1953) is a bilingual Canadian historian whose primary works focus on the domestic automotive industry.[1] He has lived in the historic Olde Sandwich Towne district of Windsor, Ontario since 2004.[2]

Studies

Mays earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Andrews University in Michigan (1975) and taught elementary school in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before graduating with a Master of Education degree from Concordia University in Montreal (1984).[3]

Writing career

The author of more than 30 books, Mays is best known for his nine automotive histories—four of which detail the inner workings of the domestic industry. His marque histories emphasize the importance of the Canadian auto industry wherever possible.[4]

In the spring of 1997 his articles appeared for the first time in the newspapers (Old Autos) and (Old Cars Weekly). His meticulous research, coupled with his folksy writing style brought him widespread attention and within a short time his bylines began to appear in Canadian, French, British and American periodicals.[4] In 1998 Mays won a Golden Quill Award as editor of a national antique car club magazine.[5]

The author of six cookbooks, Mays won Vogue magazine’s Millennium Food & Beverage Award for his 1999 release, “You Can’t Get Mad Vegan Disease.”[6] He offered cooking classes to the public in the 1990s.[7] He began teaching vegan gourmet cooking classes through the (City of Windsor’s Cultural Department) in 2010.

To date he has written nearly 1,000 automotive history articles. Many are previously unknown stories about the Canadian automobile industry. The author founded (Syam Publishing) (Mays spelled backwards) in 1997 and began publishing Canadian automotive histories bypassed by mainstream publishers. His first titles were Rambler Canada: The Little Company That Could and the American Motors Century.[8] His centennial offering, Ford and Canada: 100 Years Together, received wide acclaim both at home and abroad.[9][10]

An avid collector of automobilia since childhood, The University of Windsor acquiesced his collection in 2002.[11] In 2006, Mays’ research and writing were slowed by cardiac problems and a subsequent stroke. Concerned about what might happen to his enormous collection of rare automotive books, literature, audio-taped interviews with captains of industry and a wide variety of industry related material, Mays transferred to the University of Windsor the James C. Mays collection in its entirety in 2008.[12][13] Since that time Mays has recovered from his health issues and continues to lecture, write and research on a limited basis.

A member of the (Society of Automotive Historians) and the (Canadian Automotive Historians Society), Mays is also active in local history and heritage. He is a member of the (South Western Ontario Heritage Council), sits on the War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee for the region and penned the history column for , a Windsor labour newspaper. He has been heard spinning the occasional yarn on Radio One in Windsor) and Radio One in Whitehorse), too. His blogs include Old Cars Canada (http://www.oldcarscanada.com) and The Adventures of Charles the Bear Cub (http://specialedjames.blogspot.com) In 2009 he was named Artistic Director of The Crosstown Players Theatre, Inc. and became the in-house playwright for the LGBTTQQIA theatre troupe sanctioned by the City of Windsor.

Awards and honours

In 1998 he won a Golden Quill Award.

In 2002, his book, Rambler Canada was voted “best read” by the Ontario Librarian’s Association.

Selected automotive bibliography

Cookbooks

References

  1. ↑ Kenosha (WI) Bulletin, April 28, 2004
  2. ↑ Windsor (ON) Star, May 05, 2005
  3. ↑ Old Autos, February 2, 1998
  4. 1 2 www.theoilspoteh.ca
  5. ↑ Old Cars Weekly, April 22, 1999
  6. ↑ Vogue, November 1999 Millennium Edition
  7. ↑ The Gazette, (Montreal), September 2, 1998
  8. ↑ St. Paul (MN) Pioneer Press, May 2, 2004
  9. ↑ Globe & Mail (Toronto), December 11, 2003
  10. ↑ Classic American, October 2004
  11. ↑ Old Autos, December 2002
  12. ↑ SAH Journal, #235, July–August 2008
  13. ↑ Canadian Driver, March 24, 2008
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