Rev. Stellie J. Jackson, 1945

Renowned poet Maya Angelou once said, "If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded." By those standards and beyond, Rev. Stellie J. Jackson is a success. A lifelong resident of Clover, S.C., Jackson attended McKnight High School, where Mr. A.J. Johnson was principal. After President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945, the name of the school was changed to Roosevelt High School. While attending Roosevelt, Jackson played on the basketball team. He graduated in 1950 at the top of his class of five students.

Because Jackson was the oldest male child amongst his six siblings, he sacrificed continuing his education immediately after high school to help his parents maintain the farm on which they lived. This selfless care for his family afforded his sisters opportunities to attain advanced degrees and his brother to join the military. Jackson continued to help on the farm and eventually went to work at a textile mill in Clover. He later worked at two supply companies in Charlotte before acquiring employment with the U. S. Postal Service - a career he cultivated for 28 years until he retired as postmaster of the Beatties Ford Road branch in 1991.

Jackson is still an active part of the community as a member of a variety of organizations, including the United Men's Club of Clover, an organization that concerns itself with the improvement of community life in Clover. He served as president of the club for several terms, and he was the organization's Man-of-the-Year on two occasions. He also served as the treasurer. Additionally, he is a member of the Olive Branch Masonic Lodge and served as the Worshipful Master and later as their treasurer. Jackson is also a life member of the NAACP.

Jackson's devotion to and concern for his family was only surpassed by his devotion to God. He was a lifelong member of Green Pond United Methodist Church in Cover, SC, where he served as a Sunday school teacher, choir member, church treasurer, and a lay speaker. He was later licensed as a United Methodist local preacher through a program at Columbia College in Columbia, SC. However, the divine calling he had tried to squelch for years was finally too much to ignore, and in 1983, Jackson moved his membership to St. Stephens African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church in Gastonia, N.C., to pursue ministry on a full-time basis. In 1984, the North Carolina Annual Conference of the A.M.E. Zion Church ordained Jackson as an elder and appointed him to serve at Bynum Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Kings Mountain, N.C. He served as the pastor there until 1998 when he was appointed Presiding Elder of the Lincolnton District of the A.M.E. Zion Church. He continued in that capacity until he retired from the ministry in 2006.

In the midst of caring for the wellbeing of his parents, siblings, wife, three children and church family, Jackson felt the need to give more to his community by seeking a term with the Clover School District Board of Education. His first attempt failed, but his next attempt was successful, and he went on to serve four consecutive terms. He was the first African American member of the board and provided representation for portions of the community that had previously felt overlooked. While a member of the board, he served on the building committee that oversaw the construction of Bethany Elementary, Griggs Road Elementary, Clover Junior High, and the Clover School District Auditorium. Jackson also served as vice-chair of the board during the last two years of his final term.

After many generous years of service, one might think Jackson would have had his fill of caring for others, but even after retiring from his positions within the U.S. Postal Service and the ministry, and after no longer serving on the Board of Education, his heart still had a willingness to care in a more intimate was - as a lunch buddy for both Kinard Elementary School and Larne Elementary School. Through the lunch buddy initiative, Jackson connected with some of the youngest residents of Clover's community and became a mentor to a generation younger than his own grandchildren.

His work in the community also includes being a member of the Roosevelt Community Watch, where he helped the organization administer scholarships to graduating seniors at Clover High School. His involvement with Roosevelt Community Watch and its initiation of an after-school tutorial program led to collaborations with the Clover School District, the YMCA, and the town of Clover; all of which eventually culminated in a center named in Jackson's honor - the Stellie J. Jackson Enrichment Center. Jackson currently serves as a board member for the center.

Through a life of service to family, God, and community, Rev. Stellie J. Jackson personifies the aforementioned quote from Maya Angelou. His tireless care for his fellow man has made him a pillar in the community and a Clover School District alumnus of true distinction. The Clover Schools Alumni Association is proud to highlight Rev. Stellie J. Jackson.