Raymond Jeffers
Raymond Luther Jeffers (1918-1979) was an educator and coach who served as Scott County Superintendent of Schools from 1968 to 1972 and a long-serving member of the Scott County Quarterly Court.
See Also: Scott County School Superintendents
Preceded By: Malvin C. Sexton • Succeeded By: Bailey B. Cross
Biography
Born April 9, 1918, Jeffers was a lifelong resident of the Straight Fork community of eastern Scott County. He was the son of Luther Jeffers (1894-1977) and Mandella Ruth Duncan (1892-1990). He was a third great-grandson of Revolutionary War veteran James McDonald.
Jeffers attended Lincoln Memorial University, then graduated from Tennessee Tech. He later received a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee in 1963.
Jeffers was a distant relative to M.L. McDonald, who served as superintendent of schools in the 1910s. His second great-grandfather, Allen McDonald, and M.L. McDonald’s grandfather, James McDonald, were brothers.
Family
Jeffers married Florena Lawson (1916-2014) in 1939. Like him, she was an educator in Scott County. They had three children: Donald Ray, Diana Kay and Lynn.
Their son, Donald Ray Jeffers, was a member of Scott County Commission and the Scott County Board of Education who later established D.J.’s Pitstop in the Straight Fork community.
Professional Life
Jeffers was a teacher in the Scott County School System for 35 years, retiring in 1978. He served as superintendent of schools in Scott County from 1968 to 1972, and ended his career as an assistant principal at Scott High School.
Jeffers also spent 22 years on the Scott County Quarterly Court, which was a forerunner to Scott County Commission.
Jeffers’ teaching career began at a one-room school house at Bolin Branch near Smokey Junction in 1938. He became principal at Straight Fork School in 1939, and returned to the school as principal in 1946 after a brief stint away from education, during which time he worked at the Aluminum Company of America in Alcoa, Tenn.
Jeffers served as principal at Norma High School, while also serving as basketball coach for both the boys and girls teams. He served as a postal service worker for two years, before returning to Norma as a teacher.
He was also president of the Area Health Center at Norma and Mountain People’s Health Council. He was a deacon at Fairview Missionary Baptist Church.
Scott County School Superintendent
Jeffers was elected Scott County Superintendent of Schools in 1968, replacing Malvin Sexton. He served in that capacity until 1972, when he was replaced by Bailey Cross.
It was during Jeffers’ term as superintendent of schools that the consolidated Scott High School was built in Huntsville, and high schools at Norma, Huntsville and Robbins were closed. Following his term in office, Jeffers took a position as math teacher at Scott High, and later served as the school’s assistant principal.
Death
Jeffers died of a heart attack on Dec. 21, 1979 while burning brush at the son of his home, Donald Ray Jeffers. He was 61. A funeral service was held Dec. 24, 1979, at Fairview Missionary Baptist Church. He was buried at Fairview Memorial Gardens.
Help complete the historical record. Have something to add? Email newsroom@ihoneida.com.