Jackie Vaughn III (November 17, 1917 – September 13, 2006) was a Democratic member of both houses of the Michigan Legislature for over three decades.

He studied at Oberlin and Hillsdale colleges before being a Fulbright Scholar and fellow at Oxford University.

[2] One hallmark of his tenure was the establishment of a holiday in Michigan to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

[1] Vaughn suffered a stroke in 2000 after checking himself into the hospital in Lansing and was excused from Senate session for the remaining two years of his term.

When he left the Senate in 2002, the Senate recognized him as having "'fought the good fight' on behalf of the people of Detroit," and that his "consistent efforts on behalf of young people, his tireless leadership in promoting the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, and his advocacy of programs to help the needy have earned him widespread respect.