Jim Barksdale
Encyclopedia
Jim Barksdale was the president and CEO
of Netscape Communications Corporation
from January 1995 until the company merged with AOL
in March 1999.
. He received a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi
in 1965. While there, Barksdale was a member of the Eta Chapter of the Sigma Chi
Fraternity.
several times during hearings about Microsoft
and its alleged abuse of its operating system monopoly to dominate the web browser
market (see also: Browser wars
). At one point he addressed the entire room: "How many of you use Intel-based PCs in this audience, not Macintoshes?" Most people in the room raised their hands. "Of that group who use PCs? How many of you use a PC without Microsoft's operating system?". All of the hands went down. He said to the Senate panel, "Gentlemen, that is a monopoly." http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9803/03/gates.full/
Before Netscape, Barksdale had worked as CEO
of McCaw Cellular/AT&T Wireless
and, before that, as Vice President and COO
of FedEx
. After departing Netscape, he founded The Barksdale Group, an investment and advisory group created for the purpose of helping Internet service companies. He also sits on the Board of Directors
of several companies including Time Warner
, FedEx, and Sun Microsystems
. President George W. Bush
appointed him to the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
.
Barksdale served on the board of myCFO.
Between March and July 2009, construction crews working for Barksdale's Spread Networks completed a nearly straight fiberoptic link between a data center in the South Loop area of Chicago and a building across the street from NASDAQ' s servers. By shaving 3 milliseconds off the previously fastest fiber optic connection between these two trading centers, Barksdale built the "Ultimate Trading Weapon" and, according to some industry insiders, can charge 8 to 10 times the going rate because any HFT algorithm not operating on his network is at a significant speed disadvantage. The line was built almost entirely with his personal funds and in secret lest a competitor attempt to build another line before he was able to finish it. http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-ultimate-trading-weapon
to help form the McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College. http://www.umf.olemiss.edu/newsletter2/barksdale.html In January 2000, they gave $100 million to the State of Mississippi
to create The Barksdale Reading Institute, a joint venture with the Mississippi Department of Education and the state's public universities.
His wife, Sally Barksdale, died of cancer in 2003. He has three children and five grandchildren http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0312/09/ma04.html To honor his deceased wife, Barksdale asked that the Honors College be renamed the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
.
In 2005, he married Donna Kennedy Sones of Jackson, Mississippi. Between them they have six children and five grandchildren. Barksdale's latest gift, given in conjunction with his wife Donna, created the Mississippi Principal Corps at the University of Mississippi that will change the way the state's school principals are trained.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Netscape Communications Corporation
Netscape
Netscape Communications is a US computer services company, best known for Netscape Navigator, its web browser. When it was an independent company, its headquarters were in Mountain View, California...
from January 1995 until the company merged with AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
in March 1999.
Early life
James (Jim) Love Barksdale was born in Jackson, MississippiJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
. He received a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
in 1965. While there, Barksdale was a member of the Eta Chapter of the Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
Fraternity.
Career
Barksdale was called before CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
several times during hearings about Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and its alleged abuse of its operating system monopoly to dominate the web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
market (see also: Browser wars
Browser wars
Browser wars is a metaphorical term that refers to competitions for dominance in usage share in the web browser marketplace. The term is often used to denote two specific rivalries: the competition that saw Microsoft's Internet Explorer replace Netscape's Navigator as the dominant browser during...
). At one point he addressed the entire room: "How many of you use Intel-based PCs in this audience, not Macintoshes?" Most people in the room raised their hands. "Of that group who use PCs? How many of you use a PC without Microsoft's operating system?". All of the hands went down. He said to the Senate panel, "Gentlemen, that is a monopoly." http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9803/03/gates.full/
Before Netscape, Barksdale had worked as CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of McCaw Cellular/AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., founded in 1987 as McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., and now legally known as New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc., formerly part of AT&T Corp., is a wireless telephone carrier in the United States, based in Redmond, Washington, and later traded on the New York...
and, before that, as Vice President and COO
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
of FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
. After departing Netscape, he founded The Barksdale Group, an investment and advisory group created for the purpose of helping Internet service companies. He also sits on the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of several companies including Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
, FedEx, and Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appointed him to the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
The President's Intelligence Advisory Board is an advisor to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. According to its self-description, it "...provides advice to the President concerning the quality and adequacy of intelligence collection, of analysis and estimates, of...
.
Barksdale served on the board of myCFO.
Between March and July 2009, construction crews working for Barksdale's Spread Networks completed a nearly straight fiberoptic link between a data center in the South Loop area of Chicago and a building across the street from NASDAQ' s servers. By shaving 3 milliseconds off the previously fastest fiber optic connection between these two trading centers, Barksdale built the "Ultimate Trading Weapon" and, according to some industry insiders, can charge 8 to 10 times the going rate because any HFT algorithm not operating on his network is at a significant speed disadvantage. The line was built almost entirely with his personal funds and in secret lest a competitor attempt to build another line before he was able to finish it. http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-ultimate-trading-weapon
Personal life and philanthropy
He and his late wife, Sally, gave a $5.4 million endowment to the University of MississippiUniversity of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
to help form the McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College. http://www.umf.olemiss.edu/newsletter2/barksdale.html In January 2000, they gave $100 million to the State of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
to create The Barksdale Reading Institute, a joint venture with the Mississippi Department of Education and the state's public universities.
His wife, Sally Barksdale, died of cancer in 2003. He has three children and five grandchildren http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0312/09/ma04.html To honor his deceased wife, Barksdale asked that the Honors College be renamed the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College is the honors program at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1997 through an endowment from Jim and Sally McDonnell Barksdale, the college boasts the rich education of a private liberal arts school at the cost of a public...
.
In 2005, he married Donna Kennedy Sones of Jackson, Mississippi. Between them they have six children and five grandchildren. Barksdale's latest gift, given in conjunction with his wife Donna, created the Mississippi Principal Corps at the University of Mississippi that will change the way the state's school principals are trained.
See also
- Rhesa H. BarksdaleRhesa H. BarksdaleRhesa Hawkins Barksdale is a United States federal judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.-Early life, education and legal training:...
(born 1944), his brother, is a federal judgeFederal judgeFederal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state / provincial / local level.-Brazil:In Brazil, federal judges of first instance are chosen exclusively by public contest...
on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit