Jack Branch

Year Inducted: 2015

Jack Branch was born in Lenoir, North Carolina, and graduated from Morganton High School. Continuing his education after high school, Branch received a degree from Davidson College and a master’s degree from Appalachian State University in the area of Arts and Education. Branch also served as a coach for Appalachian State University for two and a half years. He has been an avid supporter of all Mountaineer athletic programs and athletes for decades.

Branch served with the United States Army for two years. He continued service to his country as a commanding officer of the North Wilkesboro Unit of the National Guard. He was honorably discharged as Lt. Colonel after 30 years. “Coach” Branch taught in Wilkes County Schools for 41 years and for many of the years coached football, track, wrestling and basketball. Branch served as assistant coach for the Lion’s Bowl North Squad in 1964 and in 1967 was assistant coach for the North Carolina Shrine Bowl. Coach Branch also taught driver’s education for 32 years. In 1994, Appalachian State University (ASU) established the Jackson A. Branch Award in honor of his longtime service and support to Mountaineer students, athletics and teams. The street which runs in front of Kidd Brewer Football Stadium was designated Jackson Branch Drive in honor of Branch’s outstanding support to ASU.

In 2013, Jack Branch received the Alumni Special Award from ASU for volunteer work in conjunction to ASU athletics and teams. Jack Branch has been an active member of the Kiwanis for over 25 years and has received the International Leadership Award. Branch was a former member of North Wilkesboro’s Elk Lodge. He has been a patron of the arts in Wilkes County since 1957 by contributing to and attending many events. Branch has been recognized by Wilkes Community College (WCC) for outstanding contributions to the WCC Endowment Corporation through volunteerism with WCC and MerleFest. Branch is known at ASU as the “apple man” because of his gifts of more than 300 cases of apples each year, delivering them to Boone for home teams and visiting teams as a way to show support for both men and women’s sports.