At the recent Toast of Downtown reception, Downtown Ashland Association and our partners recognized the contributions of Dr. Alphine Jefferson to the Ashland community. Dr. Jefferson is retiring after seventeen years on the faculty of Randolph-Macon College. During his tenure, Jefferson served on the nonprofit boards of many Ashland community organizations. He retires from academic service this year and begins full-time pursuit of his passions for travel and writing.
Jefferson was born in Caroline County, Virginia and spent half his youth in Baltimore, Maryland. It was there he had his first male African American teacher, and was inspired to the profession. It was also in Baltimore, where he was selected for an advanced program in high school, which exposed him to the possibilities of higher education. Jefferson attended the University of Chicago as an undergraduate as one of only 34 black students. He pursued graduate work in history at Duke University, completing his PhD with a dissertation on the effects of housing discrimination.
Jefferson’s early faculty career included Northern Illinois University, Southern Methodist University, Johns Hopkins University, and the College of Wooster. In 2005, he moved home to Virginia to be with family. He began teaching at Randolph-Macon College, where Jefferson chaired the Black Studies Program. Jefferson served as the national president of the Oral History Association and on the editorial board for The Public Historian for the National Council of Public History.
Jefferson served as President of Hanover County Black Heritage Society for ten years, and he continues to serve on the boards of the Ashland Museum, Hanover Tavern Foundation, and Ashland Theatre Foundation. Beginning in 2010, Jefferson organized annual Juneteenth events recognizing black history and its effects on the present day in our community and the College.
In recognition of his dedication and service, Downtown Ashland Association Executive Director Maggie Longest, shared the following words, “Dr. Jefferson made it his professional agenda to participate in our community’s cultural and historical organizations, and we have all benefited from his wisdom. Alphine, we wish you a happy retirement and trust that we will see you often as a visitor and customer in Downtown Ashland!”
