Long after he retired from his post as President of Tennessee State University, the legacy of Dr. James Hefner’s tenure and service to the institution continues to prevail and grow.

For sure, he didn’t make everyone happy during his nearly 15 years of tenure. Still, despite bumps on the road, Dr. Hefner was a focused champion for TSU from the year he started in 1991 to 2005, the year he retired.

Long after he left TSU, Dr. Hefner was still singing of its virtues whenever he got a chance. After retiring from his TSU post, he made Nashville his home. He made civic and social circle rounds around Nashville to maintain a presence in the TSU community, despite having a part-time residence in recent years in Atlanta where he served until recently as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Clark-Atlanta University.

Dr. Hefner died at his Nashville home August 27, 2015, of cancer.