James D. McIntyre was born in West Point, N.Y., in 1893, and graduated from Spring Hill College in 1911. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Section of the Officers Reserve Corps in August 1917. Four months later he received a regular Army commission as a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery.
Transferred to the Ordnance Department in June 1921, General McIntyre served with it continuously until September 1944, with the exception of two months' duty with the Air Service in 1923. Detailed to the Air Force in September 1944, he was appointed chief of the Air Force Branch, Legislative Liaison Division, of the War Department General Staff. Two years later he became the special assistant to the then assistant Secretary of the War for Air, W. Stuart Symington. Promoted to brigadier general Sept. 6, 1945, he retired from the Ordnance Department of the Army with the rank of colonel, and in March 1948 was transferred to the Air Force
retired list.
Later that month he returned to duty with the Air Force as special assistant to Secretary of the Air Force Symington and was promoted to major general April 6, 1948. In January 1949 he was named deputy director of the Office of Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the following July was appointed director of that office. He reverted to retired status near the end of 1949.
His decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster and the Distinguished Service Medal. He received his master's degree in business administration from Harvard University, and bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of the Army Ordnance School.