Joe Jackson died in 2008, at the age of 97. He will be remembered as an excellent teacher at Bristow High School, teaching government and debate to students of classes in the 1940’s and leading the local debate team to a national victory in 1940. That team, Cyclone Covey, Robert Loeffler, Robert Alcorn, and coach Joe Jackson, will long be remembered for that victory.
Mr. Jackson began teaching in 1934 at Sulphur High School, his alma mater, and continued at Bristow, leaving here in 1948 and taking a teaching job at Central State College, now the University of Central Oklahoma. He was vice president of academic affairs and dean of students at the university, which named its graduate school after him. He taught university classes part time for the next two decades, and after retiring, he taught at a church for a continuing education program for nearly 20 years.
It is said of Mr. Jackson that he was very strong about finishing a job. He had a saying when the debate team went into finals, “You’re knocking on the door, now I want it kicked in.” Many former students of Joe Jackson were saddened to learn of his death at the age of 97.