James “Jim” Andrew McConnell was born in 1949 in Oakland, California, but he was brought up partly in a remote wilderness valley in the North Cascades of Washington, where he lived with his parents and his sister Ann in an off-grid community of 21. The family later moved to Chicago, where Jim’s father worked as a political science professor.
Jim’s parents, Grant McConnell ’37 and Jane McConnell ’36, met at Reed. When Jim attended, he majored in anthropology, writing his thesis ( “Original Chickens”) under Professor Gail Kelly ’55 [anthropology 1960–2000]. His efforts at raising an Alaskan malamute puppy named Noah during his sophomore year were less fruitful, but ironically, he later found success photographing wolves (he also briefly worked as an assistant dean at Reed).
Jim’s wildlife photography echoed the work of his parents, who were early environmentalists. Perhaps that is why Jim, in the final phase of his life, took up-close photographs of coyotes and ravens, gaining the trust of his animal subjects. He was a kind, caring, and loyal friend who is sorely missed.
![Photo of Professor David Sacks [history 1986–2015]](https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/assets/images/David-Sacks-obit-photo.jpg)
