Born October 29, 1946 in Atlanta, Georgia, David James spent a year at Georgia State College (present day Georgia State University) before arriving at the University of Notre Dame in 1965. He was an early critic of the war in Vietnam, actively joining protest movements and becoming a counselor to those resisting the draft. He is quoted as saying, "I was a memory of the old left. The new left was talking about bombing the ROTC building. I was much more a mass-movement oriented person." David James dropped out of Notre Dame in 1968 to become a full-time draft resistance counselor, but later returned and graduated in 1970. Afterward, he held a number of different jobs and remained a fixture in local protest movements and the local music scene. He was a member of several bands, playing folks, bluegrass, and traditional Irish music at a variety of gigs and academic events. David James became an Associate Professor of Composition for Indiana University South Bend beginning in Fall 2011. David James passed away on January 20, 2018 after an unexpected medical event. His life and legacy continues to be both mourned and honored by his colleagues, friends, and family.