Biography

James (Jim) David Rosenfeld was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Norman Rosenfeld, a doctor in World War II, and Else Rosenfeld, a nutritionist. Jim, unfortunately, lost his parents as a child and was raised by his father's sister who proceeded to squander his inheritance and send him to military school. But somehow, Jim found a way. He got accepted into the University of Pennsylvania followed by an MBA from the prestigious Columbia University. Wall street didn't work out and at his lowest point, he had fifty dollars to his name alone in Manhattan. But again, Jim pulled himself up by his own bootstraps, applied for a PhD in Finance and was accepted with a fellowship to NYU. From there, he found his path. He married Rhondda Netherton and had a son, Scott.

Jim taught at Southampton college while finishing his degree and then transitioned to the University of Georgia where he was awarded best teacher in the business school his first year out of the gate. There he pioneered research on corporate spinoffs, was published in the Journal of Finance, and rocketed to Emory University in 1983 where he never looked back. For 36 years he was a faithful professor, touching countless lives along the way. He built a legacy and is a continual reminder of what the American spirit can accomplish. Jim will be sorely missed in the halls of the Goizueta Business school.