James Jarrett is a student at Leland University who's in the same year as Alex P. Keaton.
Background[]
In third grade, James beat Alex in the regional spelling bee because Alex refused to spell "Democrat." The two of them have been rivals ever since. They were in a Little League team together called Wilson's House of Fine Lingerie. James and Alex were in the cub scouts and have been on camping trips together.
James got into Leland after winning the Steadman scholarship. He majors in psychology. He's worked with abused children, senior citizens, and guide dogs, and has been a volunteer playground director.
On the series[]
In Hotline Fever, James volunteers to work on Leland's crisis hotline for school credits. He's partnered with Alex, to the dismay of both students. During their first night on the job, a suicidal student named Bill calls in, asking the two to give him one reason he shouldn't kill himself. Alex puts the caller on hold while James is out buying snacks. When James gets back, he and Alex fight over the phone and accidentally hang up on the caller. Luckily, Bill calls back, and Alex and James manage to talk him down and convince him to seek professional help.
In Don't Know Much About History, James and Alex start a tutoring service. They agree not to compete over their attractive student, Robin Green, then immediately violate their agreement by asking her out. James asks her out before Alex does, so he and Robin go to a poetry reading by Zane Axelrod. Alex also attends the reading and gets in a fight with James until Robin tells them that she wants nothing to do with either of them again. Afterwards James goes to Alex's house, where they make up.