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James H. "Big Jim" McCrocklin was born in Kendalia, Texas, a small farm and ranching community in the Texas Hill Country, 35 miles west of San Antonio. After the Depression of the 1930's Jim's family moved to Austin, Texas, where he met Harriett Stroud. Jim and Harriett both attended Austin High School and later the University of Texas, where both secured advanced degrees. After graduating from the University of Texas, Jim and Harriett moved to Kingsville, Texas, home of the world famous King Ranch, the subject of Edna Ferber's Giant. Jim's started teaching government classes at Texas A&I University (now known as Texas A&M University at Kingsville) in 1949. In 1956, Jim decided to become involved in local politics and was elected as Mayor of Kingsville in 1958 and served three two year terms before resigning in 1964 to move to San Marcos, Texas. Jim was appointed in 1964 as President of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, President Lyndon B. Johnson's alma mater. Jim was at the helm of Southwest Texas State University during five years of expansive and unprecedented growth. The university's enrollment nearly increased threefold (current enrollment exceeds 23,000 students). In early 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Jim McCrocklin as the Under Secretary of the largest Presidential Cabinet office, the Department of Health Education and Welfare. After receiving Senate confirmation, Jim and Harriett, moved to Washington and later in 1968 to Paris, France as President Johnson appointed Jim as a United States an Ambassador delegate to the United Nations Economic Security Council Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.
Jim left public office on January 18, 1969 and returned to Southwest Texas State University where he remained as President until April when he resigned. Jim took a reprieve from public duty over the next twelve months as he served as an area management consultant. After moving their permanent residence from San Marcos to their current homestead and former weekend retreat located on the banks of the crystal clear Cypress Creek, Jim and Harriett elected to move into a new profession, real estate. In late 1969, Jim bought into a local real estate firm and aggressively built up a large and successful real estate operation. In early 1972, Jim and his former partner decided to go separate ways and Jim McCrocklin and Associate Real Estate Incorporated was born with Jim, Harriett, and son, John H. McCrocklin, joining the firm. Jim McCrocklin and Associates first salesman, Kenneth Munson, is still with the firm after twenty five years.
In 1964 when Jim and Harriett purchased a weekend home, which is now their permanent resident, they felt that they had returned to family's historic Texas roots. Their current office location is just fifteen miles from Colonel Jesse Linsey McCrocklin's original Texas patents, two leagues or 4,400 plus acres, granted as compensation for serving in the Republic of Texas army in 1836. Colonel McCrocklin took part in the historic Battle of San Jacinto , where General Sam Houston and the Texas army captured General Antonio de Lopez Santa Ana after the fall of the Alamo. Colonel McCrocklin's original land grant is part of what is now northwest Hays County and southeast Blanco County. The same area that is presently serviced by John McCrocklin and Associates. Colonel McCrocklin is buried in the town of Blanco, Texas located twenty three miles from Wimberley. His grave has been marked with a Texas Historical Medalion listing some the contributions that he made to Texas during the Texas Revolution
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