Harry R. Jefferson – Wikipedia

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American sports coach and administrator (1899–1966)

Harry R. Jefferson
Born (1899-05-12)May 12, 1899
Parkersburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Died April 24, 1966(1966-04-24) (aged 66)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1917 West Virginia State
1918–1921 Ohio
Position(s) Guard, center
1922[1] Kelly Miller HS (WV)
1923 Wilberforce
1924[2] Kelly Miller HS (WV)
1925–1929 Bluefield
1930–1931 North Carolina A&T
1932–1933 Bluefield State
1934–1948 Virginia State
1949–1956 Hampton
1924 Kelly Miller HS (WV)
1934–1949 Virginia State
1924[3] Wilberforce
1924–1925 Kelly Miller HS (WV)
1925–1930[4] Bluefield State
1930–1932 North Carolina A&T
1932–1934 Bluefield State
1949–1957 Hampton
1961–1965 CIAA (commissioner)
Overall 173–92–25 (college football)
Bowls 1–0
3 black college national (1927, 1928, 1936)
2 MAA (1927–1928)
4 CIAA (1936, 1938, 1939, 1945)
All-Ohio center (1921)[5]
NAIA Hall of Fame (1961)[6]
Virginia State University Hall of Fame (1980)[7]
CIAA Hall of Fame (1982)[8]
Bluefield State Hall of Fame (teams) (2008)[9]
AFCA Trailblazer Award (2010)[10]

Harry Rupert “Big Jeff” Jefferson (May 12, 1899 – April 24, 1966)[11] was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Wilberforce University (1923), Bluefield State College (1925–1929, 1932–1933), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (1930–1931), Virginia State University (1934–1948), Hampton University (1949–1959), compiling a career college football coaching record of 173–92–25. Jefferson led his teams to black college football national championships in 1927, 1928, and 1936.[12] Jefferson was the first chairman and charter member of the National Athletic Steering Committee (NASC) in 1951.[13] Later, Jefferson served as president of the NASC in 1957 and was honorary president in 1959. Jefferson was also honored by the NASC in 1958 for 35 years “contributed to the development of youth through athletic coaching and administration.”[14] Jefferson was also the first commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in 1961.[15] In college, he was a founding member of the Phi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at Ohio University.[16] Jefferson died of a heart attack, on April 24, 1966, at Mercy Douglas Hospital in Philadelphia.[17] His funeral was held at Arlington National Cemetery.[18]

Head coaching record[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ohio University Bulletin, November 1922, Ohio University, November 1922, retrieved May 18, 2019
  2. ^ “Jefferson Resigns Coach at Wilberforce”, New York Age, p. 6, July 26, 1924
  3. ^ “Kelly Miller Highly Favored to Win Title”, Pittsburgh Courier, p. 7, March 21, 1925
  4. ^ “Institute May Face Stiff Foe in Bluefield”, Pittsburgh Courier, p. 14, October 3, 1925
  5. ^ Athena, 1922, retrieved May 18, 2019
  6. ^ NAIA Hall of Fame, retrieved May 18, 2019
  7. ^ Virginia State University Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees, retrieved May 18, 2019
  8. ^ CIAA Hall of Fame Members, retrieved May 18, 2019
  9. ^ BSC Hall of Fame Inductees, retrieved May 19, 2019
  10. ^ AFCA Awards, retrieved May 18, 2019
  11. ^ “Jefferson, Harry Rupert”. ANC Explorer. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  12. ^ “Legendary BSC coach Jefferson honored by AFCA”, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, November 18, 2010, retrieved May 18, 2019
  13. ^ “Trailblazer Award Recipient For 2010 – Former HBCU Coach”, HBCU Lifestyle – Black College Living, November 17, 2010, retrieved May 18, 2019
  14. ^ “Jefferson Is Elected to NAIA Hall-of-Fame”, Pittsburgh Courier, p. 40, December 16, 1961
  15. ^ “Name Coach Harry Jefferson CIAA Commissioner”, Jet, Johnson Publishing Company, July 13, 1961, retrieved May 18, 2019
  16. ^ History of Phi Chapter, retrieved May 18, 2019
  17. ^ “Jefferson Succumbs”. Daily American. Somerset, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. April 25, 1966. p. 7. Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  18. ^ “Arlington Rites Given Retired CIAA’s “Big Jeff”“, Jet, Johnson Publishing Company, May 12, 1966, retrieved May 18, 2019
  19. ^ 2009 North Carolina A&T Media Guide History (PDF), p. 135, retrieved May 19, 2019
  20. ^ 2017 CIAA Football Media Guide (PDF), pp. 125–128, retrieved May 19, 2019
  21. ^ Virginia State University football All-Time Results (PDF), retrieved May 19, 2019
  22. ^ 2018 Hampton Football Media Guide (PDF), p. 88, retrieved May 19, 2019


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