James Coggin doesn't get back to Tupelo as much as he'd like to, but his friends and admirers haven't forgotten "Tiger."

Said his old Mississippi State University roommate, Lewis Whitfield: "Jim's an extraordinary guy."

And Coggin's achievements in business have earned him more accolades.

Coggin is among five new members of the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame who will be inducted in a ceremony in Jackson today. The award is presented annually by Junior Achievement of Mississippi.

"I'm honored and humbled at the same time," said Coggin, who retired as president and chief administrative officer of Saks in 2007.

Coggin earned a bachelor's degree in business from MSU, an MBA from Mississippi College and graduated from Harvard's Advanced Management Program.

After being awarded a Bronze Star during the Vietnam war, he began his business career with Mississippi Chemical. Then he moved on to IBM, where he worked for 4 1/2 years before taking a job with one of his IBM clients, McRae's Department Stores.

That was the beginning of a 36-year career with the McRae family and company that became one of the most well-known retailers in the country.

"I honestly never did think I'd be in retail or work for a company like Saks," Coggin said. "I thought I'd get in medicine or law."

But during his stint with IBM, he saw something in McRae's that attracted him - a passion for its employees and its customers.

"The McRaes were a wonderful family that taught me and so many others so much," he said.

When Coggin started with McRae's in 1971, the company had four stores and generated about $12 million in annual sales. From 1971 to 1994, the company grew to 29 stores with $450 million in sales.

Proffit's bought McRae's in 1994 and Coggin was promoted to president and chief operating officer and was named to the board of directors.

In November 1998, Proffit's completed the acquisition of five major department chains, including Saks Fifth Avenue. Coggin was named president and chief administrative officer of the newly renamed, $6 billion Saks Inc.

And even though Coggin spent most of his time in Jackson and traveled extensively, he never forgot about his Northeast Mississippi roots.

"If I had to live in any other part of the country, Tupelo would be it," he said. "It's always been a progressive and wonderful place."