James Nance had a very long career inside the automotive industry. While at Studebaker Packard, Nance moved to separate the Packard Clipper range of vehicles into a stand-alone brand, Clipper. He also expedited development of Packard’s first V8 engine and automatic transmission, Ultramatic. Nance left Studebaker Packard in 1956 when the company was on the verge of insolvency, but not until he found the organization a safe-harbor relationship with airplane manufacturer Curtiss-Wright.

Following his tenure at Studebaker Packard, Nance was named vice president of Ford’s Mercury Edsel Lincoln Division. He left the automobile business following his tenure with Ford and became president and CEO of Central National Bank of Cleveland, Ohio 1960, being elevated to the position of chairman and CEO in 1962.

Nance also served on numerous universities boards of trustees until his passing in 1984.