He had one younger sibling[2] named J. David Deck,[3] who was an associate professor in the department of cell biology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
[4][5][6] Deck graduated from Davidson College with a bachelor's degree in 1950,[7][8] got a master's degree from the George Peabody College for Teachers[9][10] in 1955 (before that school merged with Vanderbilt University), and got a doctorate in education from Harvard University[11][12] in 1967.
[13] Deck was "the first recipient of The Conroy Prize for outstanding leadership, awarded by the Harvard School of Education.
"[16] Deck was on the education faculty at the University of Georgia before becoming assistant superintendent for instruction at the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.
[24] Deck took the position "to serve the last 18 months of a four-year term left vacant when Superintendent S. John Davis left the county to become Virginia's state superintendent of schools.