# Harry R. Jefferson

Harry Rupert "Big Jeff" Jefferson (May 12, 1899 – April 24, 1966) 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. Jefferson was the first chairman and charter member of the National Athletic Steering Committee (NASC) in 1951. 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." Jefferson was also the first commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in 1961. In college, he was a founding member of the Phi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at Ohio University. Jefferson died of a heart attack, on April 24, 1966, at Mercy Douglas Hospital in Philadelphia. His funeral was held at Arlington National Cemetery.

## Head coaching record

| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs |
| Wilberforce Green Wave (Independent) (1923) ||||||
| 1923 | Wilberforce | 3–2 | | | |
| Wilberforce: | Wilberforce: | 3–2 | | | |
| Bluefield Big Blue (Independent) (1925) ||||||
| 1925 | Bluefield | 2–2–1 | | | |
| Bluefield Big Blue (Midwest Athletic Association) (1926–1929) ||||||
| 1926 | Bluefield | 3–2 | | | |
| 1927 | Bluefield | 8–0–1 | | 1st | |
| 1928 | Bluefield | 8–0–1 | | 1st | |
| 1929 | Bluefield | 6–2–1 | | | |
| North Carolina A&T Aggies (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1930–1931) ||||||
| 1930 | North Carolina A&T | 3–6–1 | 3–5–1 | 7th | |
| 1931 | North Carolina A&T | 3–5 | 3–5 | 7th | |
| North Carolina A&T: | North Carolina A&T: | 6–11–1 | 6–10–1 | | |
| Bluefield State Big Blues (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1932–1933) ||||||
| 1932 | Bluefield State | 4–4–1 | 3–2 | 5th | |
| 1933 | Bluefield State | 6–2–2 | 4–1–2 | 3rd | |
| Bluefield / Bluefield State: | Bluefield / Bluefield State: | 37–12–7 | 7–3–2 | | |
| Virginia State Trojans (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1934–1948) ||||||
| 1934 | Virginia State | 3–5–2 | 3–3–2 | 5th | |
| 1935 | Virginia State | 6–3–1 | 5–3 | 4th | |
| 1936 | Virginia State | 9–0–2 | 6–0–2 | 1st | |
| 1937 | Virginia State | 8–1 | 7–1 | 3rd | |
| 1938 | Virginia State | 7–0–1 | 6–0–1 | 1st | |
| 1939 | Virginia State | 7–1–1 | 7–0–1 | 1st | |
| 1940 | Virginia State | 3–3–2 | 2–3–2 | 7th | |
| 1941 | Virginia State | 5–2–1 | 4–2–1 | 3rd | |
| 1942 | Virginia State | 7–2–1 | 5–2–1 | 4th | |
| 1943 | Virginia State | 4–2 | 2–2 | 3rd | |
| 1944 | Virginia State | 7–1–1 | 4–1–1 | 2nd | |
| 1945 | Virginia State | 8–0–2 | 6–0–1 | 1st | W Piedmont Tobacco |
| 1946 | Virginia State | 7–2 | 5–2 | 3rd | |
| 1947 | Virginia State | 10–1 | 7–1 | 2nd | |
| 1948 | Virginia State | 5–3 | 5–3 | 6th | |
| Virginia State: | Virginia State: | 95–26–14 | 74–23–12 | | |
| Hampton Pirates (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association / Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1949–1956) ||||||
| 1949 | Hampton | 5–4 | 3–4 | 9th | |
| 1950 | Hampton | 2–7 | 2–5 | 13th | |
| 1951 | Hampton | 5–4 | 4–4 | 7th | |
| 1952 | Hampton | 4–5 | 4–4 | 8th | |
| 1953 | Hampton | 6–3–1 | 5–3 | 6th | |
| 1954 | Hampton | 4–5–1 | 4–5–1 | 9th | |
| 1955 | Hampton | 4–6 | 4–6 | 11th | |
| 1956 | Hampton | 2–7–1 | 2–7–1 | 12th | |
| Hampton: | Hampton: | 32–41–3 | 28–38–2 | | |
| Total: | Total: | 173–92–25 | | | |
| National championship  Conference title  Conference division title or championship game berth ||||||