James Shanks

Mr. Shanks was born in New Bedford, Mass., August 15, 1926 to Alice and James Shanks, Jr. He was educated at Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, N.J., Clemson College, graduating from the University of Georgia and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, now the National Defense University, in Washington, D.C. He was a Distinguished Graduate of ICAF.

Mr. Shanks served in the U.S. Navy during World War II on an LCI. He retired from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare as Director of Administration in the Secretary of HEW’s office in Washington, D.C. HEW is now Health and Human Resources. During his federal service years, he returned to Atlanta, Ga. where he served as the Regional Director of Comprehensive Health Planning. While in Atlanta he served on the Vestry of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany as Junior Warden and Mrs. Shanks was active in St. Anne’s Chapter. Two of their three daughters were confirmed there.

They returned to Washington in 1969 and lived in Arlington, Va. until moving to Athens in 2007.

After retiring from the government, Mr. Shanks founded and served as president of the Rosslyn Foundation in Arlington.

Mr. Shanks is survived by his wife, Cornelia Shanks. They met at UGA where both were Journalism students. They married August 11, 1948. He is also survived by his three daughters, Allyson Rowell, Ann Glauser, and Elizabeth Flanagan; and seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Burial was at Oconee Hills Cemetery on February 28, 2013 after a family service at the Sexton’s House.