🚗 From Football Field to Fortune: Jim Click's Journey to Tucson Business Legend
🎯 "Political Prowess: From Reagan to Romney" 🌵 "Tucson Transformation: Five Decades of Community Investment
Based on the 10/22/24 Jump In Tucson show on KVOI-1030AM.
🙊 Notable quotes from the show
"If you're going to take out of a community, you need to put back into the community." - Jim Click on his business philosophy
"It's not charity. It's a good investment." - Jim Click on hiring people with disabilities
"Show up to class on time, pay attention, and you're going to pass." - Jim Click, sharing his father's advice
"I don't do it for good government. Ted, I love this country." - Jim Click on his political involvement
⏮️ ICYMI: From the Last Show…
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🌟 Jim Click started selling cars a long time ago, but he did something really special - he decided to use his success to help others. He creates jobs for people who might have trouble finding work, helps kids go to school who couldn't afford it, and supports cool sports programs for athletes who use wheelchairs. He was even a football player himself when he was younger! Now, he spends his time making Tucson a better place for everyone.
🗝️ Takeaways
🌟 Consistent community reinvestment has been Click's guiding principle since arriving in Tucson
💼 Hiring people with disabilities isn't charity - it's good business with positive returns
🎓 Education support ranges from K-12 through university athletics
🤝 Mentorship played a crucial role in Click's success and shaped his approach to giving back
💪 Athletic background influenced his approach to business and community leadership
⏬ Jump to the 🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary based on:
📻 What They Discussed
"Jump in Tucson," a morning radio show focused on community engagement, aired its October 22, 2024, episode hosted by Ted Maxwell with producer Matt Neely.
The show's centerpiece was an extensive interview with Jim Click, one of Tucson's most influential business leaders and philanthropists.
The program, which airs on 1030 The Voice, encourages community involvement and civic participation. Maxwell noted at the show's opening that voting rights and responsibilities were particularly relevant with elections approximately 15 days away.
👨💼 Personal History & Early Career
Jim Click's story embodies the American dream.
Born in 1944 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, he didn't meet his father until after World War II, as his father was serving overseas during D-Day operations. His father's background as a China Marine in Shanghai in 1933 and subsequent entry into the car business set the foundation for Click's future career.
Growing up in Altus, Oklahoma, around Chevrolets, Click developed academic and athletic prowess at Oklahoma State University. As a 185-pound center and linebacker in the Big 8 (now Big 12) conference, he played against future NFL legends and never had a bad snap as center. His college career was marked by athletic achievement as a scholastic all-American and academic success, and he maintained Dean's list status throughout his tenure.
A particularly memorable moment was his illegal tackle of Gale Sayers during a fair catch in 1964. However, he humorously notes that in 1963, he "never got close enough to touch him" when Sayers set a national rushing record against Oklahoma State.
His father's influence and Holmes Tuttle shaped his business philosophy early on. His father's advice about college - "have a good time but get an education" - and the importance of attending class on time and paying attention became foundational principles Click would later apply in his business and philanthropic endeavors.
🚗 Business Development & Career Evolution
Click's path to Tucson was paved through strategic moves in the automotive industry.
After graduating in 1966, he began working at Holmes Tuttle's Ford dealership in Beverly, Nebraska. By 1968, he had moved to Beverly Hills Mercury as a sales manager, where he set records for Lincoln sales.
The pivotal moment came in 1971 when Richard Tuttle, who had purchased Holmes Tuttle Ford in Tucson from Monty Mansfield in 1958, asked Click to help turn around the underperforming Pueblo Ford dealership at 22nd and Wilmot.
Starting with a 16% ownership stake, Click eventually expanded to 50% ownership, transforming the business into one of Tucson's most successful automotive enterprises.
🗽 Political Engagement & Leadership
Click entered politics through his connection with Holmes Tuttle and exposure to influential figures like Ronald Reagan.
His political involvement began during Reagan's California gubernatorial campaign and expanded to national politics. He served as Reagan's finance chair in Arizona for both the 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns. His political network grew to include relationships with George H.W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney.
Click emphasizes that his political involvement wasn't just about "good government" but stemmed from his deep love for America and belief in creating opportunities for future generations.
He shares fond memories of Reagan's visits to Tucson, including a packed day of speaking engagements from bankers' associations to high school events.
🤝 Community Service & Philanthropy
Click's community involvement in Tucson represents a comprehensive approach to civic engagement:
Healthcare Initiatives:
St. Joseph's Hospital: His involvement began after the birth of his child Chris, impressed by the quality of care his family received
Veterans Healthcare: Supported various VA hospital initiatives, including housing for visiting families
Education & Youth Development:
Junior Achievement: Got involved through Buck Riley to teach young people about free enterprise
San Miguel High School: Helped establish this Cristo Rey model school in 2004
Students work one day per week to pay tuition
Provides college preparatory education to underprivileged students
Recently celebrated its 20th year
Many graduates now work in Click's organizations
Disability Support & Employment:
Beacon Foundation Partnership (since 1975):
Started with hiring two employees (Kenny and Linda Harder)
Now employs 50-60 developmentally disabled teammates
Emphasizes this is "not charity" but a sound business investment
Success stories include Richard Nolan (became CFO) and Chris Burns (became webmaster)
Adaptive Athletics:
University of Arizona Program:
Major financial supporter
Program has become largest in the country
Notable success in wheelchair rugby and basketball
Olympic-level athletes like Josh Wheeler
Comprehensive support for students with disabilities beyond just athletics
Youth Development:
Boys & Girls Club:
Helped save the organization from financial troubles
Worked with Bob Tuttle to expand services
Instrumental in making it one of the country's best chapters
Has clubs named after Roy Drachman and Holmes Tuttle
Ronald Reagan dedicated a bus to Mr. Tuttle at the club
🏈 University of Arizona Athletics
The show opened with a discussion of current challenges facing the University of Arizona football program:
Recent difficult games and transition to Big 12
Impact of key injuries, including defensive players
Need for patience with the new coaching staff
The historical context of previous seasons (3-3 start last year before improvement)
Importance of continued community support despite challenges
The conversation highlighted Click's deep connection to college athletics, from his playing days to his current support of various University of Arizona athletic programs. It also emphasized the importance of community backing during transitional periods.
🔍 Three Sonorans Analysis
Behind the Feel-Good Stories - A Critical Look at Power & Privilege in Tucson
🎭 The Hidden Story Behind Jim Click's Radio Hour - October 22, 2024
"I don't do it for good government. Ted, I love this country." - Jim Click's words on political influence echo through Tucson's halls of power, but whose vision of the country are we discussing?
🏛️ The Reagan Connection: Money, Power & Forgotten Communities
In celebrating his role as Reagan's Arizona finance chair, Click glosses over the devastating impact of Reaganomics on Tucson's barrio communities.
While fondly remembering Reagan "wearing him out" during Tucson visits, there's no mention of families worn down by anti-worker policies and civil rights rollbacks.
🎓 Privatizing Education: Who Really Pays?
"So whatever you give to the school, you just get a credit on your taxes. Not costing you really anything."
This casual description of tax credits funding San Miguel High School reveals how public education funding is diverted to private institutions. While celebrating 20 years of San Miguel's success, our public schools in predominantly Latino neighborhoods continue struggling with underfunding.
🌍 Cars & Climate: The Unspoken Environmental Cost
In an hour-long discussion about automotive empire-building in our fragile desert ecosystem, no word addressed sustainability, electric vehicles, or environmental justice.
Our community bears the environmental burden while profits flow to dealerships.
💰 Power & Politics: When Wealth Shapes Democracy
The casual mentions of funding campaigns from Reagan to Romney illustrate how wealthy business leaders shape politics through checkbooks rather than ballots.
This isn't just about "loving the country" - it's about whose vision of America gets funded.
♿ Disability Rights: Beyond the Charity Model
"It's not charity. It's a good investment."
While Click's employment of disabled workers deserves recognition, the framing perpetuates problematic narratives. Where's the discussion of workplace rights, living wages, and disability justice beyond the "inspiring" stories?
💪 Labor Issues: Work-Study or Work-Exploit?
San Miguel students working to pay tuition represent an uncomfortable reality: poor students must labor while wealthy peers focus on academics.
This isn't educational equity—it's class disparity disguised as opportunity.
🏠 Housing Crisis: The Development Discussion We Didn't Hear
The celebration of business success ignores gentrification's impact on historic barrios.
Where's the discussion of affordable housing, displacement, and community preservation?
🏈 Athletics & Equity: Looking Beyond the Scoreboard
While adaptive athletics deserve celebration, the conversation missed deeper issues about university accessibility, rising tuition costs, and athlete exploitation, particularly affecting first-generation students and students of color.
🗣️ Missing Voices & Perspectives:
Working class experiences of corporate politics
Environmental justice advocates
Labor organizers fighting for living wages
Housing justice activists
Public education defenders
Indigenous perspectives on development
Barrio community leaders
🔑 Key Takeaway:
While Click's philanthropy has benefited many, Tucson's story isn't just about generous businessmen solving community problems. Real progress requires addressing systemic inequities, environmental justice, and economic disparities that private charity alone cannot solve.
The feel-good narrative of business success funding community good works masks harder questions about power, privilege, and who really pays the price for private sector solutions to public needs.
As climate change, income inequality, and racial justice challenges mount, Tucson needs more than philanthropy - we need systemic change and real democracy that amplifies all voices, not just those with the wealth to command attention.
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👯 People Mentioned
Holmes Tuttle - Click's mentor and influential businessman: "Mr. Tuttle said, 'son, I'm doing this so you and your children and grandchildren have the same opportunities'"
Ronald Reagan - Former President who Click supported: Mentioned as personally visiting Tucson multiple times
Buck Riley - Tucson businessman who introduced Click to Junior Achievement: Described as "a mentor to me"
Josh Wheeler - UA Adaptive Athletics alumnus: Mentioned scoring 22 goals in Paralympic competition
Roy Drachman - Influential Tucsonan: "He knew more about this city than anybody I've ever met"
🧐 Propaganda AI-nalysis
The show presents a largely positive narrative about business success, conservative political values, and private sector solutions to social issues. Key propaganda elements include:
Emphasis on individual success through hard work
Portrayal of private philanthropy as primary solution to social issues
Strong promotion of free enterprise system values
Connection of business success with community responsibility
Positive framing of conservative political figures and policies
Reinforcement of traditional American success story narrative
The tone is consistently positive and emphasizes personal responsibility, private sector solutions, and individual initiative rather than governmental or systemic approaches to social issues.