Jesse W. “Jess” Curlee
Jess in his office, 1989
Scottsdale - Maricopa County
Inducted in 2018
Jesse W. “Jess” Curlee didn’t grow up around cotton. As a boy the only time he ever encountered the plant was observing a small cotton patch in Texas when he went to visit his grandfather. It’s ironic that as an adult he is heralded as the man who single-handedly built Supima into the entity it is today.
Jesse was an executive with the Georgia Textile Manufacturing Association when friends in the industry urged him to move to Phoenix and take a job with the fledgling Supima organization. Originally Jess turned down the offer but Arizona and Supima were not to be ignored. With the persistent urging of friends he accepted the company’s second offer.
When Jesse came to Supima it was with the goal of increasing the distribution of American Pima cotton around the world. Under his leadership Supima has established branded, premium cotton in both fine quality apparel and home furnishing markets.
In the early 1980s Jesse set his eyes on the Japanese market. “The Japanese were so cordial. I thought I had sold them on using Pima cotton,” he said after making his first marketing trip to the country. Eight months later he learned an important lesson. “The Japanese must completely understand a product to buy it”, he was told. “You need to establish a relationship with them. You can’t just make one trip to Japan and expect to make a sale.” Eventually, through his continued efforts, Japan became one of the largest users of American Pima cotton. In 1973 Jess became Supima’s general manager and in 1981 he became the organization’s president/CEO, a job he originally turned down but subsequently held for 34 years. During his tenure Supima saw a twenty-five fold increase in sales.
In their material supporting Jess Curlee’s nomination Western Farm Press said, “Two of Supima’s biggest breakthroughs came from the Design Competition and Fashion Runway Show that Supima holds each year in New York City during Fashion Week. In 2016, Supima was invited to Paris to hold a similar, very successful show at the U.S. ambassador’s residence.” When he retired on January 1, 2016 Jesse W. Curlee left a legacy of encouraging young people planning their future in the field of agriculture through the leadership and foundations of Texas A & M University.
Affiliations
Arizona Cotton Growers Association – advisory director
Cotton Council International – advisory director
Executive Committee of the Cotton Council International in Washington D.C. -advisor
Former Students Association, Texas A & M – past president
International Cotton Advisory Committee
International Textile Manufacturer Federation
Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations – member
Phoenix Rotary 100 Club – member
Supima – former president & CEO
Texas A & M Foundation – former trustee, past chairman
Texas A & M Letterman’s Association - member
12th Man Foundation, Texas A & M - past director, member - president’s Council of Advisors
University of Arizona Ag 100 Council – member
Awards
2012 Phoenix Rotary 100 Club Tim Creedon Quiet Confidence Award
2015 U of A Ag 100 Council Agriculturist of the Year
2015 California Cotton Ginners & Growers Association Distinguished Service Award
2015 Supima Man of the Year Award (one of only eight recipients to ever receive the award)
