Jim Bennett grew up in Corry, Pennsylvania and graduated from Corry Area High School where he competed in cross country, track and field and wrestling, winning three state championships in two different sports. He won two PIAA Class A State Championships in the pole vault and the PIAA State Championship in wrestling.

Bennett graduated from Yale University in 1976 with honors in economics and Russian Studies. During his collegiate wrestling career, he amassed a dual meet record of 49 wins and 4 losses. He was named All-Ivy all four of his years at Yale.

A two-time EIWA runner-up, Bennett also twice achieved All-American honors. As a junior competing at the NCAA Division I National Championships, he won the NCAA title at 142 pounds. He came from an unseeded position to take home the championship, beating the first seed from Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals, the fifth seed from Purdue in the semifinals, and the third seed from Northwestern in the finals.

In 1976, his senior year, Bennett medically defaulted in the EIWA finals to place second. At the NCAAs, he placed fourth in a very tough weight class, coming in behind only Chuck Yagla, Pete Galea and Mark Churella.

While studying at Harvard Business School, he was Assistant Coach for the Harvard University Wrestling team. Bennett also trained for the US Olympic team winning the Northeast Regional Olympic Freestyle Trials and finishing in the top eight at the National Trials in 1980. Bennett has been elected to the Corry Sports Hall of Fame, the Erie County Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania State Wrestling Hall of Fame.

As President of the Yale Wrestling Association he has sought to reinstate Yale varsity wrestling since it was dropped in 1991. He has been actively assisting wrestling programs at the youth, high school, college and national levels through various organizations. Bennett and his wife, Amy, are active in athletic and educational philanthropy through the James and Amy Bennett Foundation. Bennett has been selected as the Team Leader for the USA Women’s National Team for the four-year cycle ending with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

After receiving an MBA from Harvard, Bennett began his career in investment banking at Kidder, Peabody. Thereafter, he has worked in the investment business and is the founder and President of Bennett Management.

Currently, Bennett resides in New Canaan, Connecticut with his wife and their two daughters.