James Hartmann graduated from the University of Colorado–Boulder with a master of arts degree in history. He began his thirty-year career at History Colorado in 1967 as deputy state historian and advanced through a number of positions before being appointed president and chief executive officer in 1990 and state historic preservation officer in 1991, positions from which he retired in 1997. He states: “They were the most rewarding of years, spent with remarkable board members and wonderful colleagues, all of whom are still remembered with sincere gratitude.”