Maid of the Mist Chairman and CEO James Glynn Dies at 91

James Glynn, longtime chairman and chief executive officer of the Maid of the Mist Corp. and one of Niagara Falls’ most influential leaders, died Sunday, December 28th, at his home following a lengthy illness. He was 91.

Glynn’s association with the iconic Niagara Falls attraction spanned more than seven decades. He joined Maid of the Mist in 1950 as a ticket seller, using his earnings to help pay for his education at Niagara University. On May 25th, 1971, he realized a lifelong ambition when he purchased the company, beginning a transformative era that reshaped the historic boat tour into a world-renowned destination welcoming visitors from around the globe.

Under Glynn’s leadership, the Maid of the Mist underwent significant modernization and expansion, including the launch of seven new vessels and the introduction of

groundbreaking all-electric boats. On October 5th, 2020, the company placed two zero-emission, all-electric vessels into service on the Lower Niagara River—the first of their kind in the United States.

Reflecting on his early days with the company during an interview with WBFO-FM, Glynn said, “My first job at the Maid was having a palm of pamphlets, and I handed them out at Prospect Point. When I gave you a pamphlet, I gave you a ticket and I asked for a dollar. The ticket was 90 cents for the boat and ten cents for the elevator.”

One of the electric vessels, christened in July 2020, was named the James V. Glynn in his honor. The ceremony included a traditional mast stepping, during which a sixpence Irish coin dated 1950 was placed beneath the mast to commemorate Glynn’s first year with the company and his family’s Irish heritage.

Born May 11th, 1934, in Niagara Falls, Glynn was the son of the late Vincent E. Glynn and Margaret McCarthy Glynn. He was a 1957 graduate of Niagara University having earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He later received an honorary doctorate of commercial science from Niagara University and a doctor of humane letters degree from St. John’s University. A Niagara University citation described him by noting, “He is, in all ways, a good man, because he thinks with his heart.”

Beyond his business achievements, Glynn was widely respected for his dedication to community service and philanthropy. He spent 22 years on Niagara University’s Board of Trustees, becoming its first lay chairman and later chairman emeritus. He also chaired the 1997 Catholic Charities of Buffalo Appeal and, in 2017, Catholic Charities named its Niagara Falls facility the Glynn Family Services Center.

Glynn served on the boards of numerous regional organizations, including M&T Bank, National Fuel Gas Company, Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Niagara Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Catholic Health, and AAA of Western & Central New York.

Together with his wife Mary, Glynn supported numerous charitable efforts across Niagara County including Heart, Love & Soul, the Francis Center in Niagara Falls, and OLV Charities in Lackawanna. Under his leadership, Maid of the Mist also supported Opportunities Unlimited, United Way of Niagara Falls, Mount St. Mary’s Hospital, CARExpress Transportation Service, Summit Healthplex, and Hamilton B. Mizer Primary Care Center.

The company additionally sponsors the Niagara University Vincentian Scholarship Program, the Diocese of Buffalo’s Curé of Ars dinner, and the James V. & Mary Glynn Endowment Fund for the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

When asked about his extensive charitable involvement, Glynn once responded, “If I don’t do it, who will?”

Glynn is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary (Gallagher) Glynn, whom he married on October 25th, 1958, at Sacred Heart Church in Niagara Falls. He is also survived by five children, 18 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a grandson, James Fiore, who died in 2006, and by his brother Leo Glynn.

A resident of Lewiston, Glynn was a member of St. Peter Roman Catholic Parish.

His life story was captured in the book The Magic in the Mist by Linus Ormsby, which recounts a conversation between James and Mary Glynn shortly after their marriage. When Mary asked him, “Would you be happy sitting behind a desk in a law office?” Glynn replied, “I think I’ll stay at the Maid.”

He never left.

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Maid of the Mist Chairman and CEO James Glynn Dies at 91