The longtime leader of an iconic Niagara Falls tourist attraction has died. James Glynn, chairman and CEO of Maid of the Mist, passed away on Sunday at the age of 91.
James Glynn began working for Maid of the Mist in 1950, as a teenager, using his earnings to pay for his education at Niagara University. His first job was selling admissions.
“They handed them out at Prospect Point. When I gave you a pamphlet, I gave you a ticket, and I asked for one dollar. The ticket was 90 cents for the boat, and 10 cents for the elevator,” he recalled on October 5, 2020, the day two new all-electric Maid of the Mist boats were put into service. One of the vessels was named in his honor, the James V. Glynn.
After years of selling trips aboard the Maid of the Mist, Glynn bought the company in 1971. He then led its expansion, buildng the Maid of the Mist into an attraction enjoyed by generations of countless tourists from all over the world, and many locals. He sat on boards for numerous local businesses, including M&T Bank, National Fuel Gas Company, Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Niagara Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Catholic Health, and AAA of Western & Central New York.
Under his leadership, Maid of the Mist provided support to numerous not-for-profits. He and his wife, the former Mary Gallagher, also gave personal contributions to Heart, Love & Soul, the Francis Center in Niagara Falls, and OLV Charities in Lackawanna.
Glynn also served 22 years on Niagara University’s Board of Trustees, where he became the board’s first lay chairman.
After marrying Mary in 1958, Glynn entertained the thought of going into law school, but decided to stay with the Maid of the Mist. In 2020, aboard the James V. Glynn, he was marking 70 years with the company.
“It's a wonderful thing,” he recalled. “This is a great tradition in this company, and to be with it 70 years is shocking.”
Funeral arrangements were not yet finalized as of Tuesday evening.
