John Jeter O’Keeffe

John Jeter O’Keeffe was known as a versatile and capable athlete on the Emory & Henry baseball team. He played both outfield and infield and was a good hitter as well. For his athletic accomplishments, he was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.

O’Keeffe’s fielding average and batting average ranked near the top of the team each of the seasons he played. Teammates saw his versatility and knowledge of the game as major assets, and selected him to be a captain during his junior season in 1929.

In addition to his athletic contributions, O’Keeffe was also a member of Phi Pi Alpha social fraternity and Blue Key. He graduated cum laude in 1930.

O’Keeffe served in the Navy as a lieutenant commander during World War II. He earned a master’s degree from University of Virginia and went on to become a sales representative for National Collieries Incorporated, a coal company headquartered in Grundy, Virginia.

John O’Keeffe, a native of Tazewell, Virginia, passed away on May 26, 1981 at age 71.