In 1933, the lives of the Navajo people were forever changed when twin sons were born to Phillip Chee and Leota Jackson in Leupp, Arizona. Dean C. Jackson was the eldest son and spent his life alongside his brother Jack Jackson Sr. The twins first attended a schoolhouse in Cedar Springs before moving on to Keams Canyon School and eventually Chilaco Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma. An unyielding appreciation for education would lead Dean C. Jackson to become a Navajo leader in all things education in the years to come.

During the years at Chilaco Indian School, the Jackson twins were renowned for their talent in basketball, which led to their athletic scholarships to attend Arkansas Junior College. The passing of their mother Leota only spurred Dean C. Jackson to complete his scholastic endeavors. Dean returned to the Navajo Nation with a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Oklahoma State University. Adding this foundation, Dean C. Jackson began teaching and coaching with the Window Rock Unified School District.

In 1959, Dean C. Jackson married Stephanie McPherson after meeting a year earlier. Her father was the late Joseph McPherson, assistant attorney general for the Navajo Nation. The newly married couple started a family and had five children: Deana, Stephen, Deborah, Carole and Charlene. The mission of education was not lost on their children, all of whom would pursue higher education and positions of leadership in their time.   Each of the Jackson children attended Navajo Community College as the stepping-stone in this pursuit.

Dean and his family eventually moved to Many Farms, Arizona to work with the late Robert Roessell to plan and develop Navajo Community College (now Dine’ College). Dean worked to secure funding for the new college campus in Tsaile, Arizona. He was extremely influential with the Tribal College Act, which gave control and authority to Indian tribes across America.

The Jackson family returned to Window Rock to allow Dean to attend graduate school at the University of New Mexico. In 1978, Dean C. Jackson became President of Navajo Community College and held that position until 1988. His tenure during the longest presidency in the college’s history was also an opportunity for Dean to develop and implement his educational model, the Dine’ Philosophy of Learning.

Leaving Dine’ College, Dean became Superintendent of the Chinle School District and held that position until his untimely death in 1992. Equally important to Dean throughout his life was the love of Indian rodeo and respect of horses. Dean C. Jackson was a founding organizer of the All Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association and had a hand in the creation of the Indian National Finals Rodeo, an organization celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year. Jackson cemented his legacy as a bona fide Navajo legend in both arenas of education and rodeo.

His children carry on the legacy of helping the Navajo Nation in leadership positions. Deana Jackson is a media consultant for the National Indian Gaming Association in Washington. D.C. Dr. Stephen Jackson was a physician at the time of his death. Dr. Deborah Jackson-Dennison is the Superintendent of the Window Rock Unified School District. Carole Jackson –Holyan is employed with the Raytheon Corporation. Charlene Jackson-Etnire is a private attorney and owns her own law firm. Dean C. Jackson and Stephanie have 10 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.