James (Jim) O. King, founder of Regal Chemical Co. and a pioneer in the turf industry, passed away Feb. 26, 2005. King was born in Sentinel, Okla., in 1922. He started his career early by selling the Saturday Evening Post, usually making 1 cent or less per magazine.
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King worked from an early age, helping to support his parents and siblings during the Great Depression. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with honors, earning a bachelor’s of science degree in chemical engineering. At UT, he was vice president of the student body and the first student to become a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa and Scarabbean Honor Society on campus. He was a member and life-long supporter of Sigma Phi Epsilon and, in 1998, established the James O. King Scholarship Fund for a deserving fraternity brother.
After graduation, King joined Diamond Shamrock and worked there for 20 years in various sales and management positions. During his years at Diamond, he witnessed the birth of the agriculture chemical business with the introduction of DDT, BHC, 2,4-D and Dacthal. He served on the DDT congressional task force prior to the departure of this molecule.
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In 1970, after leaving Diamond, King formed Regal Chemical Co. Based in Alpharetta, Ga., Regal Chemical Co. started at a time when there was a need for better products, information and service in the golf and turf industry. Over the past 34 years, Regal Chemical Co. has expanded throughout the Southeast, Northeast, Southwest and Western United States. The company now provides products and services to golf, landscape, nursery, lawn care and agriculture businesses. Regal Chemical has experienced steady sales growth each year since its beginning.
King is survived by his wife of 52 years, Frances King; daughters, Meryl Cook, Leigh Ann Durrence and Lisa Goodyear; son, William King; grandchildren, Kevin Cook, Dana Durrence and Darby Goodyear; and sister, Genave Rogers of Tulsa, Okla.