Sportsman and author. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was taught to play whist at a young age. He played his first game of Bridge at ten. As World War I began, he joined the army at the age of 15, but spent most of his time there playing poker. He left Columbia in his junior year as a math major to become an Actuary, completing the examination of the Society of Actuaries in 1924 to become the youngest person ever to do so at the age of twenty one. He played in and won his first auction tournament in July 1929, the National Team Championship of the American Whist League. But he had already won the first big contract pair tournament ever played, the Goldman Pairs event in the Eastern States Championship held in February of the same year. Having an exceptional aptitude for mathematics, he could multiply three and four digit numbers in his head without benefit of paper. During World War II and the Korean War, he applied these abilities to counterintelligence and cryptanalysis thus, being referred as a human computer, later, he lectured on probability at M.I.T. and wrote books on mathematics. But, his passion and lifelong focus was games, especially bridge. Oswald had achieved fame as a player at both auction and contract bridge, further gaining international recognition when chosen by Sidney Lenz to be his partner in the famous Culbertson-Lenz match of 1931. His more aggressive bidding style confused Lenz and Oswald withdrew after Lenz's criticism. Oswald solidified his position as the most successful tournament player in the thirties as a member of the famous "Four Horsemen" from 1931 to 1933 and the "Four Aces" from 1933 to 1941, dominating tournament play. He is recognized by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) as Life Master #2, one of ten named in 1936. LM #1 is David Burnstine , his partner on the Four Horsemen and co-founder of the Four Aces. James was elected to the Bridge Hall Of Fame in 1965 and was named ACBL Honorary Member in 1967. He died at his Dallas home at the age of 81.