Elliott and his brother, former Society President Ted, are the two surviving sons of Gladys and J. Hayden Igleheart, who moved to Shelbyville in 1927. The deceased include Hayden Jr., Willard, and Julian.Elliott has been recognized throughout his career as a gentleman, English literary scholar, and professor and expert on Indian artifacts. An all-state fullback and 1942 graduate of Shelbyville High School, Elliott awaited his call-up after enlisting in the Army Air Corps. When that call never came, he joined his classmate, Jack Green, at Tulane University (Jack later became an All-American at West Point). Graduating with a BA and Master’s degree in English, Elliott was hired at Centre College in Danville as an English professor and line coach for the football team. He was at the school from 1947 to 1950.
Later, drafted by the U. S. Army, Elliott served at Letterman Army Base in San Francisco. Elliott married the former Betty Rees of Mason County and he and Betty each earned Master’s degrees from Gallaudet Univer- sity in Washington, DC. These degrees enabled them to begin their careers teaching the deaf. They retired from the Austine School for the Deaf in Brattlesboro, Vermont, about eight years ago after serving 27 years instructing college preparatory classes. Elliott also coached football, while Betty taught elementary classes. Elliott was recognized as the Centennial National Teacher of the Year at the 100th anniversary celebration at Gallaudet for teaching the deaf. The couple later moved to Durham, North Carolina, where Elliott resides in the nursing home.
Along the way Elliott learned wood crafting and became a recognized scholar and writer/expert on Indian artifacts. Over the years he spent hundreds of hours searching recently plowed fields of Shelby and Mason counties for arrow points and other Indian artifacts. His article on “Kentucky Projectile Points, Clear Creek, Shelby County,” was published in the and the Ohio Valley.
Elliott’s collection will be on permanent display in the Heritage/Welcome Center on Main Street after it has been catalogued and classified by a team of anthropologists from the University of Kentucky.
(Editor’s Note: This article is based on information supplied by Ted Igleheart.)