Jack's list of accomplishments would impress just about anyone. An accomplished businessman, former U.S. Air Force jet-fighter pilot, world-class standardbred horse breeder, North Carolina legislator, and chairman of the board of two universities and many non-profit organizations. Born in 1932 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His love of flying started when he was just a young boy. Jack attended Duke University, where he participated in the ROTC program, and later was commissioned in the Air Force, where he served for ten years. Jack began his business career as an executive in the textile industry in North Carolina but still kept involved in flying, particularly sailplanes, which brought him into contact with aircraft designer Leonard Niemi in 1963, a meeting that would change the world of competition soaring.

Niemi had designed a sailplane, the Sisu 1A Unfortunately, his company failed to make a go of it and asked Jack to help. Jack took control of the Arlington Aircraft Research Company in 1963 and would underwrite the production costs of six more aircraft of the Sisu 1A, which would become one of the most successful American competition sailplanes ever flown. In 1964, it became the first sailplane to fly farther than 1000 km.

Jack would also own one of these aircraft. He donated it to The Aviation Museum of Kentucky, which is now on display.