Jim died June 14, 2014 after a long battle with cancer. He was born Sept. 15, 1938, in Louisville, Ky. Jim is survived by his wife, Beverly, 3 children and 8 grandchildren.  Jim was a philanthropist and American entrepreneur.  He served as Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education.  He owned Intermountain West Communications Company (Channel 3 in Las Vegas) and Sunbelt Auto Museum.  Rogers was in active law practice in Las Vegas from 1964 through 1988, at which time he ceased practicing to devote 100% of his time to the development of the television and radio stations of Sunbelt.

An active supporter of education, he and his wife Beverly made substantial financial contributions to various colleges and universities. Their gift of $135 million to the University of Arizona College of Law is the largest gift to the University of Arizona and the largest gift to any American law school.  In November 1998, the Arizona Board of Regents renamed the University of Arizona college of Law the James E. Rogers College of Law.

Jim served as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the University of Nevada, Engineering College in Reno, Nevada (to which he has given or pledged $750,000), was a member of the Dean’s Council of the UNLV College of Law in Las Vegas (to which he has given or pledged $28,500,000), and was a member and President-Elect of the Idaho State University Foundation in Pocatello, Idaho (to which he has given or pledged $20 million). Sunbelt constructed a building on the campus of Great Basin Community College in Elko, Nevada at a cost of approximately $1.25 million.