He graduated from Yale University, served for three years in the United States Navy, and then attended Harvard Law School, from which he received his degree in 1962.

He served in the House from 1975 to 1989; in 1988 he was the successful Republican nominee for the United States Senate seat held by the retiring Robert Stafford.

During his Senate career, Jeffords served as chairman of the Public Works and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees.

[1] Jeffords was a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps[4] in college, and after graduating he received his commission in the United States Navy.

[7] After completing his active duty obligation, Jeffords served in the United States Navy Reserve until retiring as a captain in 1990.

[1] A longtime resident of Shrewsbury, Jeffords practiced law in Rutland and became active in politics and government as a Republican.

After his wife's death, Jeffords resided in Washington, D.C., a move he made in order to live near his son and daughter.

[11] Jeffords sought the Republican Party nomination for governor in 1972, but was defeated in the primary by Luther "Fred" Hackett.

In 1974, after winning the Republican nomination with a plurality in a three-way race, he won Vermont's sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for 14 years.

[13] Jeffords long favored expanded access to health care, and supported the plan offered by Bill Clinton in the early 1990s.

Surgeon General,[14] President Clinton issued a statement thanking Jeffords and several other senators "for their strong support for this extremely qualified nominee.

[16][17] Jeffords' work in Congress focused on legislation involving education, job training and individuals with disabilities.

Jeffords discussed this decision: "I will make this change and will caucus with the Democrats for organizational purposes once the conference report on the tax bill is sent to the president.

[18] Jeffords' switch was also motivated by the refusal of Senate Republicans to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,[19] stating, "Increasingly, I find myself in disagreement with my party...

Democratic whip Harry Reid courted Jeffords, Lincoln Chafee, and John McCain as potential party-switchers.

In return, Jeffords retained his seniority and received the committee seats that would have been available to him had he been a Democrat during his entire Senate tenure.

[citation needed] Even before switching parties, Jeffords' voting record was moderate-to-liberal, which was typical of Republicans affiliated with Vermont's Aiken–Gibson wing.

In 1981, Jeffords was the only Republican member of the House to vote against a bill reducing the top tax rate from 70 per cent to 50 per cent—a hallmark of President Ronald Reagan's legacy.

During his time in the Senate, he voted for the Brady Bill, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, an end to the ban on gays serving in the military, and against permanent normal trade relations with China and barring affirmative action at the federal level.

Jeffords was also vocal in his opposition to the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court of the United States by President George H. W. Bush.

On many economic issues Jeffords was roughly in line with the majority of the Republican Party, before and after his switch: he mostly supported free-trade agreements, voted for making enforcement of consumer protection laws more difficult by moving many class-action lawsuits into federal courts, tighter bankruptcy rules and a balanced budget amendment.

On November 11, 2003, Jeffords was one of only four senators to vote against the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, a bill that received strong support from politicians from across the aisle.

Jeffords died of Alzheimer's disease on August 18, 2014, at Knollwood, a military retirement facility in Washington, D.C., where he had lived for eight years.