Richard Elmer Jaggers was born on February 6, 1891, in Hart County, Kentucky, to Sarah Waddle and Nimrod Jaggers. One of four children, Jaggers had two sisters, Roberta and May, and one half-brother, William Brown.

After receiving his diploma from Western Kentucky State Teacher's College, Jaggers obtained his post-secondary schooling at two universities. He received an A.B. degree in 1925 and a M.A. in 1926 from the University of Kentucky. Later, he attended Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D in 1932. The main emphasis of Jaggers's studies were placed on rural education and school administration.

Dr. Jaggers's professional experience began in 1910 when he taught in a one-room schoolhouse for Hart County and the city of Marion, Kentucky. In 1932, Jaggers became the state's director of Teacher Education and Certification. By the time he retired from the State Department of Education in 1946 he had attained the office of chief of the Bureau of Instruction.

Jagger joined the staff of Eastern Kentucky State Normal School and Teacher's College (now Eastern Kentucky University) in 1926 as principal of the normal school; he also served as an instructor. Jaggers later served as chairperson of the Department of Education and Psychology at the State Teachers College in Florence, Alabama, before returning to Eastern in 1952 as a professor of elementary education.

Dr. Jaggers was recognized as an expert in his field and as the originator of important studies on rural education and teacher training, graduate programs at Eastern, and of the program of pre-service training of teachers, which has been adopted in nearly every state in the country. He was constantly in demand as a speaker throughout his career, teaching as a guest professor at six universities and addressing educational concerns to groups in thirty-six states.

R.E. Jaggers was an active participant in many education-related organizations. He was a member of the National Education Association (NEA) board of directors and repeatedly gave addresses at the group's conventions. In the organizations Jaggers belonged to, he played a leadership role more often than just being a conventional member. These positions included his role as secretary of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, president of the NEA Department of Rural Education, president of the Ohio River Valley Conference on Teacher Education, chairperson of the Southern Conference on Teacher Education, chairperson of the NEA Committee on Supply Preparation and Certification of Teachers, and chairperson of the Kentucky Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards. He also served as chairperson of the Kentucky council on Public Higher Education Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and as the council's first secretary. Jaggers was also acting secretary of the Central Kentucky Education Association (CKEA) for many years.

Dr. Jaggers's activities extended to the community as well. He served as president of the Richmond Rotary Club and was a member of the First United Methodist Church.

Jaggers published several books, produced because of his research in education. His most prominent works Kentucky Courses of Study (1931), Administering the County School System (1934), and State Department of Education-- A Forward Look (1955), the latter of which he co-wrote with four other authors.

Dr. Jaggers retired from service at Eastern Kentucky University to the position of emeritus professor in 1962.

Richard Jaggers married his wife Emma Geralds in 1912 in Hart County. They had one daughter, Frances, who married Bruce T. Dorsey, and two sons, Gerald, KEA director of publications, and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Jaggers Jr., who became director of the Division for Management Systems in the Kentucky Department for Human Resources. Dr. Richard Jaggers Sr. died in Richmond in 1975 and is buried in Elizaville, Kentucky.