James "Jim" Edgar Lindsey was born on November 24, 1944, in Wynne, Cross County, Arkansas.

Lindsey attended the University of Arkansas on a football scholarship and was a part of the Razorback football team named national champion by the Football Writers Association of America in 1964. He graduated from the university with a degree in math.

Lindsey was signed by the Minnesota Vikings in 1966. He used his signing bonus to purchase land that later became the location for the Northwest Arkansas Mall. After retiring from professional football in 1972, he formed Lindsey & Associates and began developing apartment units throughout the South. Lindsey entered the race for governor of Arkansas in 1976 but lost in the primary election to encumbent David Pryor.

Lindsey served on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees. He was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 2010.

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