James L. Kennedy
JAMES L. KENNEDY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
James Leonard Kennedy was born on November 12, 1933 in Wilmington, Delaware, to Frances “Frank” Joseph and Elizabeth “Betty” Kennedy, the eldest of four children. His brother Robert was subject to severe attacks of asthma, and in the family’s search for a climate that would restore his health, they moved from state to state, making their way south and then gradually west. They reached Oregon in the early 1950s and bought property in Melrose, a rural district outside of Roseburg. Jim graduated
from Oregon State University in June of 1956 with a degree in Animal Husbandry. He was a member of Army ROTC and was commissioned shortly after graduation.
In August 1956, Jim was married to Sharron Long of Roseburg. In December of that year the couple journeyed to Fort Benning Georgia for officer’s training camp. After three months of training he was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, during his two years of active duty. Lieutenant Kennedy started his Army career as a company executive officer. He was very quickly assigned to the First U.S. Army rifle team when he qualified as an expert rifleman. He won first place at two Fort Dix rifle competitions in 1957. His leadership and coaching skills were recognized early and he was put in charge of training the team. The team earned third place at the United Services of New England competition in 1958. Lieutenant Kennedy continued to earn many more marksmanship medals locally and regionally and earned notable recognition from the National Rifle Association.
At the end of his tour of duty Jim, Sharron, and 18-monthold James William moved to Redding, California, where Jim’s father had established a frozen food and home freezer business. Jim worked with his father as part owner of the business for eight years, handling the purchasing and supervising the meat processing, food distribution, and delivery. During these years, their daughters Julianne, Laura, and Elizabeth were born. Looking to a future with four growing children, the time commitment and meager income of a small business owner lost its appeal to Jim. In reassessing his prospects, he remembered his fascination and aptitude with literature and language, and in June of 1969, after two years of study at Chico State University, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a secondary teaching credential. Jim began his teaching career at Weaverville High School in the Trinity Mountains of Northern California. Weaverville, the county seat of Trinity County, had a population of around 3,000 at that time. In addition to teaching six classes of English, Jim was assistant football and baseball coach.
He taught driver’s education and a night class in Writing 101 for the Shasta College adult education program. He also mentored the high school ski club and was determined to create a sports program that included wrestling and tennis so that boys of all sizes could participate. He enjoyed writing and teaching poetry. He was constantly striving to find new ways to get through to his students with poetry, music, Shakespeare and books such as JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
On September 25, 1973, Jim, fellow teacher Robert Olmsted, and Steve Searcy, the superintendent of the local grade school, decided to fly to a teaching conference in Chico, California. It was to be Jim’s first flight in an aircraft. It was only a short journey—two hours by car—but their excitement over the experience of flying overruled practicality. Undaunted by a heavy ground fog which blanketed the airport, they determined that they could punch through it and fly above. Unfortunately, the pilot had only minimal training in the use of instruments. He became disoriented and after circling for a long time over Weaverville, the plane crashed near the high school grounds. All three men were killed on impact.
In the brief four years of his teaching career, Jim touched the lives and warmed the hearts of many. The grieving family received many letters from community members who valued his work with both students and adults. A water fountain was erected and still stands in the courtyard at Weaverville High School in memory of the three teachers.
The James L. Kennedy Memorial Scholarship was initiated by his youngest daughter, Elizabeth “Beth” F. Kennedy, in order to help others achieve their education and leadership potential. Beth graduated from OSU in 1987 with a degree in business, with the assistance of a two-year Army ROTC scholarship. She went on to become a Medical Service Corps officer and graduate of the Army’s Initial Entry Rotary Wing course as a medical evacuation pilot.