James D. Burns

Who is James D. Burns?

James Denis "Jimmy" Burns was an American businessman, hotel operator, politician, and baseball team owner. He was elected sheriff of Wayne County, Michigan, and served a four-year term. He also served three times as a delegate from Michigan to the Democratic National Convention, in 1908, 1912, and 1916. He was also the first owner of the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball, owning the club during the inaugural 1901 season.

Burns was born in 1865 at Springwells, Michigan, an area that was later incorporated into the City of Detroit. He was the sixth of eight children born to Peter and Hanorah Burns. His father operated a brickworks business that supplied bricks to construct many of the important buildings in Detroit. After being educated in the public schools of Springwells and Detroit, he joined his brothers and father in the brickworks business. After his father died, he continued to operate the brickworks with his brothers.

As a teenager, Burns was a boxer and wrestler and won the state amateur championship as a middleweight in both events. He did not compete professionally, but he played an influential role in the careers of Tommy Ryan and Noah Brusso.