James J. Raciti

James Raciti was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1933. He attended Girard College, Stephen Girard's legacy of a private preparatory school for fatherless boys and girls. After graduation, he went to Temple University. He continued his education in Europe earning two Masters Degrees (English and French) at the University of Grenoble in France and a PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Zaragoza, Spain.

He remained in Europe as an educator and administrator subsequently working for the University of Salamanca, the University of Barcelona, and the University of Maryland’s European Division. When he returned to the States, he became the Director of Education and Training for US Space Command and oversaw the worldwide Space Command Education Programs from Colorado Springs. During his tenure at Space Command, he attended and graduated from Harvard University's MLE (Institute for Management and Leadership in Education) in 1993. In 1998, he was awarded The Air Force Meritorious Service Medal at the time of his retirement.

He currently lives in Rio Rancho, New Mexico with his wife, his Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog, and his calico cat.