Texas A & M University 1952-1956 – BS Civil Engineering

United States Air Force – 1956-1959 - Upon graduation from Texas A & M with his lieutenant’s commission, Jenkins entered the U.S. Air Force serving on active duty for three years.  After completing his pilot flight training, Jenkins served at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, Headquarters, Strategic Air Command 2^nd Air Force.

Harvard Business School 1961-1963 – MBA Finance & Marketing

International Business Machine Corporation – 1963 – 1969 - After graduating from the Harvard Business School, Jenkins joined the IBM company in Dallas.  John’s six years at IBM included a training period on computer systems concepts, programming, business processing, and marketing.  He and his sales team installed the first computers in Dallas area hospitals and was named the outstanding medical sales team in the IBM company.

Information Management Associates, Inc. 1969-1975 - Jenkins and his sales partner from IBM left IBM to establish Information Management Associates, Inc. (IMA).  The company obtained a contract to set up a data center for the over thirty Texas Rural Electric Cooperatives in Austin and set up a second data center in Dallas.  From this base, IMA expanded its business to provide software for clients of a growing international computer company.  For that company, IMA established and managed a programming shop in Paris, France, to modify the software to European Common Market standards and the required language translations.  IMA software was installed in companies on all six continents.

Other Major Activities and Companies

Clini-Therm Corporation, Inc., Dallas, Texas - After a successful sale of IMA, when recommended by a HBS classmate, Jenkins was approached by the Directors of development stage, public, high tech medical equipment company in Dallas to become its president and CEO replacing its founder.  At Clini-Therm Corporation, Inc., Jenkins redesigned and enlarged the product line, obtained FDA approval in record time, completed a private placement of stock with United Kingdom institutional investors, and broadened the use of the technology into new medical uses.

Jumpking Trampolines, Inc. – Dallas, Texas - A former IBM associate of Jenkins headed Jumpking Trampolines, a major Dallas division of Icon Health and Fitness, Inc. of Logan, Utah.  Looking for growth opportunities beyond his U.S. market, he asked John to become Jumpking’s Director of International Sales.  Jenkins established European dealers in Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Scandinavia, and England. He sold their product internationally to big box retailers Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Costco.  Jenkins’ international sales provided Jumpking with 80 percent of its profit with just 20 percent of the company’s total sales volume.

GSM International, Inc. – Dallas, Texas - The above years with Jumpking occurred from 1991 through 2004 when China was being welcomed into the world economy.  China used this opportunity to destroy the profitability of Jumpking’s U.S. sales along with thousands of other American manufacturers.  Icon shut down its Jumpking division in 2004. Following Jumpking’s closure, Jenkins started GSM International, Inc.  For the next eighteen years, Jenkins became intimately involved with numerous Chinese manufacturing companies traveling there during China’s major expansion period.  On various occasions, he represented them, competing against them, and even contracted with them to manufacture a patented, proprietary GSM product designed by Jenkins.

Author – After selling his business operations in 2022, Jenkins finished writing “The Blessed Generation: Fifty Years on the Cutting Edge of Rapid Change”, recently published and now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  His new book, “Looking Through a Class Darkly: Divided America and the Gathering Storm”, should be available in September 2023.