James William Armsey was born December 13, 1917, and he received his B.S. at the University of Illinois in 1941 and his M.A. in 1946. After graduation, Armsey worked in the Public Information Office of the University of Illinois Professional Colleges. After a year at this post, Armsey went on to serve five years as the Public Relations Director at the Illinois Institute of Technology. This experience prepared him to serve as Assistant to the Chancellor at New York University (NYU) beginning in 1952. During his four years at NYU, Armsey would hold several positions. Besides being Assistant to the Chancellor, Armsey was also the head of Public Relations, and the Vice President and Director of the New York University Press. He was an administrator for the Challenge newspaper and had ties to the Alumni Bulletin, Alumni News, and the NYU Daily Bulletin. Armsey was also a member of the Community Planning Board #2, helping to clean up the Washington Square area and acquire sites for buildings to expand the Washington Square campus. During Armsey's time at NYU, Henry T. Heald was Chancellor. Heald had been President of the Illinois Institute of Technology, and when he was appointed Chancellor of NYU, he brought Armsey to New York with him as his assistant. When Heald became president of the Ford Foundation, Armsey joined him there.

Sources Hevesi, Dennis. "James Armsey Dies at 90, Oversaw College Grants", The New York Times, November 19, 2008