J. Craft Akard
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 1st district
In office
1981–1982
Preceded byClarence Blackburn Jr.
Succeeded byDana E. Moore
Personal details
Born(1917-01-17)January 17, 1917
Blountville, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 2015(2015-03-27) (aged 98)
Bristol, Tennessee, U.S.
SpouseMargaret Akard
Children2
ResidenceBristol, Tennessee
Occupationeducator, baseball player

James Craft "Lefty" Akard (January 17, 1917 – March 27, 2015) was an American politician in the state of Tennessee. Akard served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1981 to 1982.[1] He was a former educator, having served as Superintendent of Sullivan County Schools from 1948 to 1971, and as Field Representative for the Tennessee Board of Education from 1971 to 1979.[2] He was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1981 as a Democrat, representing the 1st district, encompassing Sullivan County. He did not run for reelection upon the expiration of his term, stating, "to be perfectly honest, I don't believe I can be an effective legislator because the role is not in keeping with my background and temperament".[3]

He graduated from Emory & Henry College in 1938, where he played baseball and basketball.[4] He later played professional baseball for the Johnson City Soldiers, Bristol Twins, Kingsport Cherokees and Newport Canners of the Appalachian League, with his career lasting from 1938 to 1945.[5] He and his wife Margaret had two children.[6] He died in 2015.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Susan Starr, Tennessee General Assembly, Legislative Information Services, Rachel Jackson Building, 1st Floor, 320 Sixth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243-0080. "Tennessee House Member, 92nd General Assembly". capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved 2014-05-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "Daily News - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  3. ↑ "Daily News - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  4. ↑ "ISSUU - Alumni Magazine Fall 2011 by Emory & Henry College". issuu.com. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  5. ↑ "Craft Akard Minor League Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  6. ↑ "Memory Lane: J. Craft 'Lefty' Akard won 18 consecutive games in old Appy League | Kingsport Times-News". timesnews.net. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  7. ↑ "J. Craft 'Lefty' Akard Jr., BRISTOL, Tenn". Johnson City Press. 29 March 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.


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