Joe B. Jackson
| Joe B. Jackson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1921 |
| Died | April 22, 2008 |
| Alma mater | Middle Tennessee State University |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Joe B. Jackson (1921-2008) served as mayor of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, from 1983 to 1998 and is the city's longest-serving mayor.
Joe Jackson was born in 1921 on the Caney Fork River in DeKalb County, Tennessee, to Bertha Mae Vanatta and Elbert Lee Jackson as an extended member of the Claybourn – Claiborne – Clayborn family. At the age of two his family moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he graduated from Chattanooga Central High School. Following high school he joined the Third Marine Division and served throughout the pacific theater during World War II. After his military service he attended Middle Tennessee State University on an athletic scholarship playing all three major sports. He was elected president of the Associated Student Body, Who's Who of American Colleges and Universities, and graduated with a degree in business administration. Later he graduated from the Nashville School of Law.
Joe married Frances Hickerson and they owned the Home Roofing and Building Company of Murfreesboro. He served as president of the MTMC hospital board, president of the Exchange Club, City School Board, Water and Sewer Board, Recreation Commission, and many other city boards and commissions.
Jackson was elected to the City Council in 1968 and was chosen as Vice Mayor in 1978. In 1982 he was elected mayor of Murfreesboro and served until 1998, making him the city's longest serving mayor. He was remembered as the foundation of the city's unprecedented growth and prosperity. During his term the city doubled in size. A subsequent mayor of the city, Tommy Bragg, commented, "He was kind, thoughtful and very farsighted in growth in our economy and growth in our neighborhoods. He was really a citizen mayor."
Jackson was named Mayor of the Year for the State of Tennessee in both 1988 and 1994. He was also past president of the Tennessee Municipal League and was elected to the board of directors for the National League of Cities in 1988, representing 1,800 member cities across the United States. He served on the Advisory Board of the National League of Cities and Tennessee Municipal League and was president of the Tennessee Municipal League Bond Board.
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