Not one to fawn over the famous, but this obituary caught my attention. To be included in the ‘Remembrances’ section of the Wall Street Journal is a big deal. To warrant a quarter page, is a testament to the profile of that particular person. James G. Boswell, II was just such a character. He exemplified many of the traits we admire in great leaders. He was a trend setter, he was fearless, he had a big vision and he took action. To be the biggest at anything garners attention; to do it in farming, in agriculturally rich, environmentally predisposed, water-challenged California, and without a lot of fanfare is quite another.

As you may surmise from my columns, I am possessed with an abiding fascination for the visions, decisions and the actions of wildly successful bootstrapreneurs, and farmers. Bootstrapreneurs are those swaggering entrepreneurs with the confidence and capability to create a successful business venture – a life altering affair complete with raving fans and commendable results. They face daunting odds and biased critics, but nothing is ever created without some untoward envy. Bootstrapreneurs are driven with a bravado to change the world, and they mold an enterprise based on their sense of purpose.   

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Farmers are the quintessential family business owners. They live and work in an environment where most fear to tread. They face the machinations of Mother Nature and whims of the commodities market. They must adjust to food fads and diet trends. Economies of scale, vertical integration and limited resources are the ever-present challenges of growing a bigger, better, faster, organization. Farmers are the ultimate risk-takers living life on the edge and wagering a yeoman’s fortune on the next turn of the season. As the family patriarch/matriarch they balance the demands of business, against the wants of the family while considering the needs of the community.

J.G. Boswell epitomized both, as the exemplary farmer and business owner. He represented everything that was good and a few of the flaws you associate with success. If you can, take a good look at what he represented and the depth of his achievement. Not one to take no for an answer; he was determined to create. Mr. Boswell played on the leading edge, pioneering industrialized agriculture, and growing the largest farming complex in North America – if not the world.

His operations were vertically integrated. He managed and controlled the entire product cycle – from seeding with proprietary hybrids, to using automated harvesters. He marketed his cotton directly, setting the standard for self-reliance and independence.

At the height of his success, he had some 200,000 acres under tillage, and he harvested up to 400 bales per day. But it wasn’t all cotton; Boswell operations included more irrigated wheat, safflower and seed alfalfa than any other in the country.

Research and development from Boswell’s private labs are credited with technological advancements in hybrid seed development, and he looked for competitive advantages through automation and robotic mechanization.

He acknowledged that, in California, water is king, so he managed this precious resource with private canals and precision grading.

The details of his impressive accomplishments will be largely unknown outside his family circle, beyond his business associates and some professional alliances. J.G. Boswell was a fiercely private man.

Whether he was good or bad is not my place to judge. Economic cycles, business trends, free markets and advancing technologies are great equalizers. J.G. Boswell mastered them all. We know he didn’t do it single handedly, for all great accomplishment is a team effort. But a visionary leader motivated by a desire to change the world will always achieve success. J.G. Boswell is a shimmering example of the possible.

He exemplified bravado, moxie, and success – all under the radar and without the fanfare that often accompanies great accomplishment. We can speculate why he remained out of the spotlight and some may take pride in criticizing his achievement, yet there is no denying the depth and breadth of his success.

His son James W. is now the CEO of the family operation. To what level will his efforts take the company?