Jim Sells

Jim Sells, who was at one point the sixth-longest serving mayor in the country, died Jan. 15, 2025, at the age of 80. Sells served as mayor of Rogersville for 48 years from 1978 to 2025 and served as an alderman for the city from 1971 to 1977. The meeting room for the town's Board of Mayor and Aldermen was named in his honor upon his retirement. Born in Murphy, N.C., Sells came to Rogersville when his father’s employment with TVA was transferred for the region. A graduate of Rogersville High School, Sells was also retired from BellSouth.