Funeral services were held July 6, 2025, for Fred Bedelle Jr. Ed.D., a man who influenced public education in East Tennessee for 50-plus years.
Dr. Bedelle was the last superintendent of Knoxville City Schools, before its 1987 merger with Knox County Schools. He teamed with KCS Superintendent Earl Hoffmeister to develop and implement the merger, and he joined KCS as administrative assistant.
Dr. Bedelle impacted education as head of the graduate program for educators at Lincoln Memorial University. “He recruited heavily for the program and pioneered the idea of bringing teachers from LMU into local schools for after-hours classes – if you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you,” said one colleague.
Finally, Dr. Bedelle crafted a desegregation plan for Knoxville City Schools that withstood court challenge as Knoxville escaped mandated school busing during the 1960s. Josh Flory wrote a “Hall Pass” article about Bedelle’s work including his book, With All Deliberate Speed, published in 2012 with a forward by then-Rep. John J. Duncan Jr.
He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Norma. The full obituary is here.
It reads in part: His legacy is one of love, learning, service and unwavering support for those he held dear.
