Jack Laxton
Jack Oran Laxton (October 3, 1922 – November 13, 2022) was a World War II veteran, a career law enforcement officer, and elected Scott County Sheriff. He was the son of another Scott County Sheriff, Esau Laxton, and the father of Oneida Chief of Police Darryl Laxton.
See Also: Sheriffs of Scott County
Preceded By: Dorsey Rosser • Succeeded By: Julius Lewallen
Preceded By: Chester Sexton • Succeeded By: Jim Carson
Early life
Jack Laxton was the son of William Esau Laxton and Mertie Mae West Laxton of the Buffalo area east of Huntsville.
Following high school, Laxton enrolled in the U.S. armed forces and was a veteran of World War II. Following his military service, he worked for a period of time in the coal industry.
Laxton married Alma Thomas Laxton (1929-2020) in 1948, and they settled in the Grave Hill area west of Oneida.
Law enforcement career
After a brief stint in the coal industry, Laxton spent much of his professional career in law enforcement. He served two years as a deputy U.S. marshal, four years as an officer with Oneida Police Department, and nine years as a security officer at the Y12 and K25 nuclear plants in Oak Ridge. He was best remembered, however, as Scott County Sheriff.
Laxton was first elected sheriff in 1962, and was subsequently re-elected in 1964 and 1966, serving until 1968, when he left office due to term limits. Later, he was elected sheriff in 1986 and re-elected in 1990, serving until 1994. In all, he served 14 years as sheriff of Scott County.
During Laxton’s first tenure in office, he was credited with being the first sheriff to place markings on patrol cars, and the first to require deputies to wear standardized uniforms. During his six-year tenure from 1962 to 1968, Laxton’s department busted 56 moonshine stills, which was said to be a record.
Laxton was a popular sheriff who was well-liked in the local community. However, his second tenure in office was mired by the Max Carpenter shooting in 1994, which may have played a role in that year’s election, won by Jim Carson.
Community Involvement
Jack Laxton was heavily involved in Scott County sports throughout his life. He established the Scott County Boxing Club, which produced multiple East Tennessee Golden Glove champions. He was named East Tennessee “coach of the year” in 1977.
Laxton also helped establish softball teams for both boys and girls.
Laxton was a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Oneida Masonic Lodge, and was a charter member of the Big South Fork Saddle Club. He was a member of Pentecost Baptist Church.
Death
Laxton died on November 13, 2002 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in LaFollette, Tenn. A funeral service was conducted at White Rock Baptist Church in Huntsville on November 16, 2002. He was 79. He was buried in the Laxton Family Cemetery at Buffalo.
Family
Jack and Alma Laxton had 10 children: Karen Rhea Laxton, Marilyn King, Jackie Thompson, Mike Laxton, Trish Robinson, Jeff Laxton, Darryl Laxton, Wesley Patton, Stacy Conatser and Scott Anthony Laxton. At the time of his death in 2002, he had 22 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. When Alma Laxton died in 2020, the couple had 24 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren.
Laxton’s son, Darryl Laxton, serves as chief of police in Oneida, a position he assumed in 2010. Another son, Jeff Laxton, served as his chief deputy. Two of his grandchildren, Dustin Laxton and Kendra Laxton Porter, have served as patrol officers for Oneida Police Department. His cousin, Mike Cross, was elected Scott County Sheriff in 2010.
