Rent A Car pioneer from Portales

James Cassan, owner of CMC Investments Inc., a Dollar Rent A Car licensee with locations in Seattle and Portland, died Dec. 13. He was 18 days shy of his 84th birthday.

According to a news release from Auto Rental News, Cassan was born Dec. 31, 1939, in Portales to Dora and Arthur Cassan.

After graduating from Portales High School in 1957, he attended Boise Junior College, where he played on the football team.

After the deaths of both his parents, Cassan transferred to New Mexico State University where, on Christmas Day in 1960, he met Doris Scott, and they married six months later.

Cassan earned degrees in civil engineering from NMSU.

In 1968, he and Doris opened the first Dollar Rent A Car franchise in Seattle, and in 1973 they purchased the Portland franchise. Beginning with a fleet of only five Volkswagens in 1967, they opened the first Dollar Rent A Car franchise outside of California.