When Jeffrey James (’90) became a special agent for the U.S. Secret Service in 1996, he didn’t have to relinquish his name and take on a numerical identity, as the Johnny Rivers song suggests. Nor was he presented with a “top secret” rubber stamp, dark glasses fitted with a recording device, or shoes with a heel concealing everything needed to implode a bridge and rappel down the side of a skyscraper.
What James has gained is an exciting career, including working in Secret Service field offices in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., the Intelligence Division, The Presidential Detail, and his current assignment as the Secret Service’s assistant special agent in charge for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“The Secret Service lends its forensic capabilities to any law enforcement agency
that is dealing with a missing or exploited child case,” James said. That could be
anything from enhancing grainy video, latent fingerprint examinations, providing handwriting
analysis for a ransom note, or providing polygraph services.
In his position, he is pulled in to do high-level assignments in the protection realm on a fairly regular basis.
Originally from North Versailles, James grew up hearing stories about Clarion University through his godfather, Robert Gevaudan (’69). When it came time for college, James visited the campus.
“I really enjoyed the campus. I enjoyed the idea of the small college atmosphere,” he said. “There were plenty of activities and extracurriculars, but it still always had the small college atmosphere.”
As a Golden Eagle, James majored in secondary education with concentration in communication
arts, and he was involved in the theatre department and intramural sports. When he
graduated in 1990, he took a job teaching English and theatre arts at Franklin Regional
School District in Murrysville, Pa. The Secret Service position came out of left field
when an acquaintance who was with the Secret Service encouraged him to apply to be
a special agent.
“I applied, never dreaming I’d be hired because I had no military or law enforcement background,” James said. “I went through a year-and-a-half-long application process. Eventually, I was called in August 1996 and asked if I still wanted the position. I reported for training the next month.”
He’s been in his current assignment with the agency for four years. The longest he served in one capacity with the Secret Service was five years, when he worked on the President’s Detail for George W. Bush.
“I’m a history lover, and it’s literally a thrill every time you walk into the White House. You’re watching history happen every day,” James said. “I was working the morning we caught Saddam Hussein. To be right there to see everything unfold, right through the president announcing the capture to the nation, that was just a great thrill.”
James said his time at Clarion University helped to shape him into the person he is today.
“I always loved the blue-collar atmosphere at Clarion and I believe, even in the professors, it really shined through. I was never allowed to take a shortcut, never allowed to make an excuse. I think that it was comforting, because that was the way I was brought up,” James said. “To see that attitude reflected in higher education – that you’re responsible for your actions and your work – that attitude of accountability and responsibility stuck with me.”
James said he can separate from the government in about four-and-a-half years, if he so chooses.
“There’s a part of me that looks forward to seeing what may be next when my time with Secret Service ends, but part of me knows it will break my heart to leave. This is a great career – the people and experiences have been tremendous.”
James and his wife, Julie, are kept busy with their three young children: Dalaney, 8; Jack, 5; and Madelyn, 3. With three young kids, there is little time for recreational activities, but he tries to carve out time each day for a workout.
“The Secret Service puts a high premium on physical fitness,” James said. “We are required to take a PT test four times a year. I try to ensure that I can keep my scores at the highest level.” The family lives in Centreville, Va.