James Young

1936 - 2025

James V. Young, 89, of Lee's Summit, Missouri, was born James Van Young on June 12, 1936, in Waterloo, Iowa-the son of Robert A. and Edith M. Young. Jim died in Blue Springs, Missouri, on December 20, 2025. Jim and Virginia "Ginger" Hudson Young were married on June 11, 1959, at Grace Methodist Church in Waterloo, Iowa. They began life together on a cold evening--January 10, 1954--high school seniors on a blind date.

Jim graduated from his beloved West Waterloo [Iowa] High School in 1954 as co-valedictorian. He was a Wahawk champion in football, basketball, and track throughout his high school years. Letter winners at West voted him the Most Valuable Athlete in 1953. That year Jim was also elected Governor of the American Legion-sponsored Hawkeye Boys' State and represented Iowa at Boys' Nation in Washington, DC.

In 1954, Jim was awarded the coveted Nile Kinnick Scholarship at the University of Iowa, where he was on the football team his freshman year. For the next three years there he won letters in track and field, excelling with the discus and shot put. Jim was awarded the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor for his unique combination of scholarly and athletic ability.

In 1958, Jim was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, graduating with his BA degree in political science from the University of Iowa with highest honors. Continuing at Iowa, Jim graduated with the top 10 % of his law school class, receiving his JD degree in 1960. He was inducted into the Order of the Coif and passed the Iowa bar. Having decided by then to teach, Jim went on to earn his PhD in political science in 1964.

Jim began teaching at Iowa as a substitute in the spring of 1964, also accepting a position at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, in the Department of Political Science. After one year at St. Olaf, he became the head of the department, holding that position for three years. In the spring of 1968, Jim joined the faculty of Central Missouri State University, now UCM, as associate professor. There, he acted as chair of the Department of Political Science from 1971 to 1982 and as the pre-law student advisor and faculty sponsor of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society. Jim's other professional organizations included the American Political Science Association and the Missouri Political Science Association, the latter for which he was secretary for three years. He was also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Heartland Institute. A popular teacher for thirty years at UCM, Jim was awarded the Byler Distinguished Faculty Award in 1998.

An avid reader and historian, Jim published four books: Remembering Their Glory: Sports Heroes of the 1940s; Judges and Science: The Case Law on Atomic Energy; The Young Coal Company: Research and Reminiscences; and Landmark Constitutional Law Decisions: Briefs and Analyses. He also contributed a chapter to Perspectives in School Censorship as a member of the Advisory Committee for Citizenship Education for the Missouri Bar.

In the mid-to-late 1970s, Jim earned the Physical Fitness Leadership Award from the Warrensburg Jaycees for his work with young people in local neighborhoods. Ever a champion of fitness, Jim gathered, outfitted, and coached a variety of eager children creating a mini-track club he dubbed "The CEMO Striders." At the same time, Jim assisted with outdoor track activities at Missouri Boys State for many years, as well as unofficially helping coach UCM's track and field athletes to improve their throwing distances in discus and shot put events. In the 1980s, Jim and Ginger enjoyed their small business called The Fitness Factory, eventually donating the Nautilus machines to UCM, where they were appreciated by faculty and students. As an old-timer, Jim continued to compete and was named an All-American Master eleven times by USA Track and Field in discus events between 1991 and 2007. "Working out" in one way or another and helping people with their own exercises was always a pleasure for Jim.

Throughout his life, however, Jim's favorite activity continued to be spending time with his wife Ginger; his daughter Ann Young Anderson and son-in-law Kenny; his son James Hudson Young and daughter-in-law Rebecca (née Swager); his grandsons Dustin Anderson and Dustin's wife Jiejing (née Zhao), Adam Anderson, Alex Anderson, Andrew Young and Andrew's wife Angela (née Bechtold); his granddaughters Kelly Anderson and Rachel Young; and his great-grandchildren Soren Anderson, Evren Anderson, and Ruth Young. Jim was a cherished husband, dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa. He was also a great friend, colleague, mentor, and neighbor. Accordingly, Jim was well known and will long be remembered for his wonderful smile and never-ending spirit of good will.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Robert. Jim is survived by his sister-in-law Jane Redenbaugh Young and her children Susan Peters, David Young, and Margaret Kaliban.

Jim's service will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Blue Springs on Saturday, January 24, 2026, where he was a committed member. Meyers Funeral Chapels is in charge. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to The Show-Me Christian Youth Home, 24302 Mahin Rd. PO Box 6, La Monte, MO 65337.