Biography

HAROLD G. JEFFCOAT, ED.D., LL.M.

Dr. Harold Jeffcoat began his career in higher education in 1975 following ten years as a professional baseball player. He received both his Bachelor of Arts degree (1974) and Master of Arts degree (1988) from the University of South Florida. He received his Doctor of Education from the University of Kentucky in 1994. Dr. Jeffcoat completed a Master of Laws degree from the University of Leicester in 2000. 

At Texas Wesleyan University, Dr. Jeffcoat holds tenured appointments as Professor of European Law and Professor of Humanities. At Texas Wesleyan University, President Jeffcoat serves as a member on the Board of Directors of the Mary I. Gourley Scholarship Foundation and the Davey O'Brien Foundation.   He is Chairman of  the Education Committee, a sub-committee of the Strategic Action Plan Implementation for the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.

While he had served on the faculties at Baker University and the University of Missouri, teaching and publishing in the humanities, philosophy of law and philosophy of education. He served as Professor of Humanities (Adjunct) in the Honors College at the University of Missouri and as founding Director and Director Emeritus of the European Union Center, one of ten academic research centers established by the European Commission in the United States.

While at Baker University, he served on the campus committee to reform the general education program and chaired the campus scholarship committee. He was also a member of the Board of Directors, Center for Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Research (Olympia, Greece).

As Vice Chancelor at the University of Missouri, Dr. Jeffcoat was responsible for private fund development, alumni relations, and international program development. He was a member of the University Capital Review Committee, which oversees all capital construction planning for the land-grant campus. He was a member of the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee and Financial Planning Committee, which jointly plans new academic investment and oversees budget preparation and spending forecasts. As a faculty he also served on the curriculum reform of the joint Ph.D./Ed.D. Programs in the College of Education, the Korea Initiatives Group and the Council for International Relations.

During his administrative career, Dr. Jeffcoat managed institutional advancement programs at Purdue University, where he served as Assistant Vice President, Campaign Director and Chief Operations Officer. At the University of South Florida, he initiated development programs in the College of Arts and Letters and the Science Center during the university’s first comprehensive campaign. At the Florida State University Foundation, he developed the first Corporate and Foundation Relations Program and at Columbia College represented the campus at federal and state levels of government.

Dr. Jeffcoat and his wife, Marie, have three children and two granddaughters.  Jennifer Marie Morton holds a Master of Science in Special Education from the University of Missouri.  Marine Captain Chad Morton and Jennifer live in Georgia with their daughters.  Michael received his graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown in May 2006, and attends a graduate program at Texas Wesleyan University.  Jacqueline graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown in May 2007.  Currently she is interning in Notre Dame's teaching certification program.