Biographies

James F. Ackerman

Name:
James F. Ackerman

Born:
March 12, 1924

Joined AGB:
1973

Primary Dept/Div:
Private Investment

Primary Office:
Chicago, Indianapolis

As of 7/15/1977: James (Jim) Ackerman is a Partner of Becker Communications Associates and a vice president of Warburg Paribas Becker. He joined the firm in 1973 after two years as president of Communications Advisors, Inc. Prior to that, he was executive vice president of the Indianapolis Morris Plan. Jim received a B.S. Degree from Purdue University (1947) and a law degree from LaSalle Extension University (1965). He received an honorary Doctorate of Education from Purdue in 2004.

Jim Ackerman, with his long operating history in the cable television industry, and his experience in financing the purchase, development, and sale of cable TV systems, joined with Bill Cockrum to organize Becker Communications Associates, a limited partnership, in 1972-3, as described in the Investment Program Appendix to the Chronicle. The venture was very successful financially and established Becker as a leading investment banker in this and related fields.

Obituary:
James Ackerman, 88, died on Saturday, March 2, 2013 in Carmel, IN. He was born in 1924 in Lima, OH,. He graduated from Purdue University and was a longtime resident of the Indianapolis area, a pioneer in the cable television industry, a U.S. Army vet, and a philanthropist. Mr. Ackerman was an owner and manager of a number of cable companies during his life, and an officer of two finance companies making loans in the industry before joinng Becker and with Bill Cockrum in organizing Becker Communications Associates. Ackerman was active in a number of business associations in Indiana. In 1984, he created The Ackerman Foundation to improve the welfare of the local and national communities. Purdue University significantly benefited from his philanthropy. He was an avid golfer and with his son-in-law developed an excellent golf course in the Indianapolis area.