Jim was raised in rural Livingston County, Missouri, near the small farm town of Chula.  For the first eight grades he attended a one-room country school which never exceeded 12 pupils.

In 1960 he graduated from Chillicothe high school.  While in high school he was a member of the football team and the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter.  Beginning in the fall of 1960 he attended Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri.  He graduated from there in 1964 with a B.S. in History.  His collegiate activities included the MVC Football team, Senior Class President, Homecoming Chairman and Suma Cum Laude graduate.      

Jim began his teaching and coaching career in St. Charles, MO. in 1964/1965, teaching various Social Studies courses.  

He then taught and coached football and wrestling in Marshall, MO. from 1965 through 1980.  The wrestling teams he coached in Marshall had a record of 116-19-6 from 1969 through 1980.  His teams won two State titles and finished in the top 10 several times during that time frame.  Coach Hargrave coached nine state champions and 45 place finishers.  He was selected as the small class coach of the year in 1978 and again in 1979.  Coach Hargrave was inducted into the Missouri Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1988.  He was then inducted into the Marshall High School Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Missouri Valley College Hall of Fame in 2016.  

From 1981 to 1989 Coach Hargrave worked in a different field, the Mutual Fund and Insurance Sales business, returning to coaching again at Warrensburg High School, from 1989 until 1995. 

Coach Hargrave has been retired since 2006.  He currently resides in Warrensburg, with his wife Karen.  They have been married for 57 years.  The Hargraves have 2 children.  Their son Keith lives in Kansas City, Kansas and is employed by the Law Firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon.  Their daughter, Kathy and her husband Shane Gaddis live in Kansas City, Missouri.  Kathy is a Speech Pathologist in the Park Hill school district and Shane is in Law Enforcement.  Additionally, the Hargraves have 5 grandsons: Aidan, Luke, Conner, Dylan and Chase