Jim Justice Parents: Everything to Know About His Father and Mother
Jim Justice is a well-known West Virginia businessman and politician whose career has stretched from coal mining and agriculture into hospitality, sports and public service. Before he became governor of West Virginia and later a U.S. senator, however, his story was closely connected to the family business established by his father.
Jim Justice’s parents were James Conley Justice Sr. and Edna Ruth Perry Justice. His father built a significant career in the coal industry and became an important figure in West Virginia business. His mother maintained a more private life centered around family and community.
The influence of the Justice family business became especially important after James C. Justice Sr. died in 1993. Jim Justice then took over leadership of the family’s coal operations and eventually expanded the business interests into agriculture, tourism and other industries. The West Virginia Encyclopedia identifies James C. Justice and Edna Ruth Perry Justice as Jim Justice’s parents and notes his later involvement in the family business.
Who Were Jim Justice’s Parents?
Jim Justice was born James Conley “Jim” Justice II on April 27, 1951, in Charleston, West Virginia. He grew up in Raleigh County in a family with deep business ties to the state’s coal industry.
His father was James Conley Justice Sr., a businessman and coal industry executive. His mother was Edna Ruth Perry Justice.
While his father’s professional accomplishments are well documented, considerably less public information exists about Edna Ruth’s personal life and career. She largely remained outside the spotlight while supporting the family.
For Jim Justice, growing up in the Justice household meant being exposed to business and the coal industry from an early age. His father’s work eventually became the foundation for the family enterprise that Justice would inherit and expand.
James C. Justice Sr. Was a Coal Industry Pioneer
James C. Justice Sr. was born in 1924 and became an important figure in West Virginia’s coal industry.
According to West Virginia University, Justice attended Purdue University and later served as a B-29 bomber pilot in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. After his military service, he entered the coal business during the early 1950s.
His early business activities included operating a small mining company in Whitesville, West Virginia. He later moved with his family to Monterey, Tennessee, where he established another small coal operation before returning to West Virginia.
Back in West Virginia, Justice Sr. worked with Leo Vecellio in developing Ranger Fuel Corp. The company was eventually sold to Pittston Coal in the late 1960s.
His career was not limited to simply operating coal mines. He also became interested in developing equipment that could make coal mining more efficient and safer.
The Justice Highwall Miner
One of James C. Justice Sr.’s notable contributions to mining was his work developing specialized mining equipment.
West Virginia University’s account says that his interest in safer and more efficient mining led him to establish Coaltex in 1975. The company developed several pieces of equipment, including the Edna Miner, the Justice Miner and the Justice Highwall Miner.
The Justice Highwall Miner was designed as a dual-head highwall augering machine capable of working larger areas of low coal seams. The equipment reflected Justice Sr.’s interest in combining business with technological development.
The machine was completed and sent for on-site testing only a week after his death in 1993.
His contribution to the industry was recognized by West Virginia University, which inducted James C. Justice Sr. into its Coal Hall of Fame in 1998.
James Justice Sr.’s Military Background
Before becoming a major coal businessman, James C. Justice Sr. served his country during World War II.
West Virginia University’s biography states that he flew a B-29 bomber as an Air Force pilot during the war.
His military experience came before the expansion of his coal career, and his later work in mining showed an interest in machinery and practical engineering solutions.
His combination of business experience, mining knowledge and interest in technology became an important part of the legacy that he left for his family.
Edna Ruth Perry Justice Was Jim Justice’s Mother
Edna Ruth Perry Justice was Jim Justice’s mother and the wife of James C. Justice Sr.
Compared with her husband, Edna Ruth has remained a much less public figure. There is limited detailed information available about her professional life, although the supplied family information describes her as someone strongly focused on family and community.
She married James C. Justice Sr. in July 1948 in Beckley, West Virginia, according to the family information provided.
Her life was closely connected to a family whose business interests were growing in West Virginia. While James Sr. handled the increasingly demanding responsibilities associated with coal and other ventures, Edna Ruth remained an important part of the family structure.
Her relative lack of public attention is also consistent with the way many members of the Justice family have approached their private lives.
Jim Justice Grew Up Around the Family Business
Jim Justice’s childhood was shaped by his family’s connection to business and West Virginia.
After completing his education, Justice became involved in the family enterprise. The West Virginia Encyclopedia notes that he attended the University of Tennessee before transferring to Marshall University, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
In 1977, he started Bluestone Farms, which eventually grew into a large agricultural operation covering more than 50,000 acres across four states.
His business interests later expanded considerably.
The experience of growing up around his father’s coal operations gave Justice an early understanding of how family businesses operated. After his father’s death, he assumed a much larger leadership role.
What Happened After James C. Justice Sr. Died?
James C. Justice Sr. died on June 11, 1993.
His death marked a major turning point for the Justice family business.
After his father’s passing, Jim Justice became president of Bluestone Industries and Bluestone Coal Corporation. From there, he expanded the family’s operations into a much broader collection of businesses.
The Justice business interests eventually included coal, agriculture, timber, Christmas tree farms, cotton gins, turf grass operations and golf courses.
West Virginia University says Justice eventually operated more than 100 businesses and employed thousands of people.
This expansion helped establish Jim Justice as one of West Virginia’s most prominent business figures before he entered politics.
The Greenbrier Became Another Major Chapter
One of Jim Justice’s most recognizable business acquisitions came in 2009, when he purchased The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, from CSX.
The resort had experienced serious financial difficulties, and Justice’s purchase became an important chapter in its modern history.
Under his ownership, the property added new attractions and business ventures, including a casino and the Greenbrier Classic golf tournament.
The Greenbrier became closely associated with the Justice family name and later became an important part of Jim Justice’s public profile.
Although his career eventually moved into government, his background as a businessman remained central to his identity.
From Businessman to Politician
Jim Justice entered electoral politics after decades in business.
He won the 2016 West Virginia governor’s race as a Democrat but switched his party affiliation to Republican in 2017. He served as West Virginia’s governor from 2017 through January 2025. He then entered the U.S. Senate in January 2025 after winning the 2024 election.
His political career therefore came after a long period in the private sector.
The family business background remained relevant to his public identity because Justice frequently drew on his experience as an entrepreneur and employer when discussing his approach to government and economic issues.
The Business Legacy of Jim Justice’s Parents
The story of Jim Justice’s parents is closely connected to the development of his own career.
James C. Justice Sr. built the foundation through coal mining, business development and mining technology. His work helped establish the family enterprise that his son later inherited.
Edna Ruth Perry Justice played a much more private role within the family, with fewer public details available about her individual life.
After his father’s death, Jim Justice did not simply maintain the business at its existing size. He expanded the family’s interests into agriculture, tourism and numerous other ventures.
The result was a business operation that became much broader than the coal enterprise established during his father’s generation.
Why Jim Justice’s Parents Remain Important to His Story
When looking at Jim Justice’s life, his parents provide important context for understanding how he entered the business world.
His father gave the family a foundation in coal mining and industrial entrepreneurship, while his mother was part of the family structure supporting that life.
James C. Justice Sr.’s career also illustrates the changing nature of West Virginia’s coal industry. He was not only involved in mining operations but also pursued new technology designed to improve how coal was extracted.
That interest in innovation became part of the legacy passed to his son.
Jim Justice later developed a business career that extended well beyond coal, becoming involved in agriculture, hospitality, tourism and other industries.
Today, Justice is better known nationally because of his political career, but the roots of his story remain firmly connected to his family and the business world of West Virginia.
Jim Justice’s Family Legacy
Jim Justice’s parents, James C. Justice Sr. and Edna Ruth Perry Justice, played very different but important roles in his background.
His father’s coal career created a substantial business foundation, while his mother remained a private presence within the family.
James Sr.’s death in 1993 placed the family business in Jim Justice’s hands. From that point, Justice expanded the operation significantly and developed a diverse business portfolio.
That family history helps explain why coal, agriculture and business have remained central themes throughout Justice’s life.
Before he became governor and later a U.S. senator, he was already a prominent West Virginia businessman. The foundation for that career was laid during the generation before him.
The story of Jim Justice’s parents is therefore not simply a family biography. It is also part of the larger story of a West Virginia business family whose interests grew from coal mining into agriculture, tourism and other industries.
