James Watson was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 6, 1928. His father, James D. Watson, was a businessman, and his mother was Jean Mitchel. James went to Horace Mann Grammar School, and did well. Watson has been described as very intelligent, energetic, and outspoken. He also played tennis everyday, and still tries to. James Watson has always had an interest in education. He has written multiple textbooks on the molecular biology of the cell and recombinant DNA.