James-Frederick's father, James, was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan where he ran an investment firm and managed real estate on-the-side. It was there that he met Dr. Frederick Cassel, a pharmaceutical scientist with whom he founded Fullview Inc., a pharmaceutical company, in 2127; each held half of the company. James and Frederick became close friends, and after meeting Dr. Cassel's daughter Catherine and falling in love, it was arranged that James and Catherine were to marry, which they did in 2135. Catherine became pregnant towards the beginning of 2137 - unfortunately, Dr. Cassel died of cardiac arrest before the birth, and the baby was named James-Frederick, partly in Dr. Cassel's honor, and to signify the joining of the two families.
With Dr. Cassel's death, James held nearly fifty percent of the company, while Catherine held the other fifty percent; in effect, James-Frederick would inherit the entire company. By 2145, however, Fullview was purchased by Weyland-Yutani for an undisclosed sum; the Cerwicks still held a forty-percent stake in the company, and maintained its operations. James-Frederick was raised by his family with the goal that he would continue the operations of Fullview, and - ideally - climb the corporate ladder of Weyland right up to the top. However, unbeknownst to his parents, James-Frederick took little interest in business, corporate org charts, or the constant meetings which his father encouraged him to attend.
Instead, James-Frederick found himself enthralled by the military; its tactics, its structure, the battles of yore. Much to the chagrin of his family, James-Frederick accepted an appointment to the US Naval Academy and renounced his family inheritance (which was then bestowed upon his adoptive brother, William). Despite this, James-Frederick maintains amicable relations with his family, which still pushes for him to pursue a career with W-Y.