In 1964, Jackson was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2005, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Own the Podium 2010 and inducted into the University of British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was named by CBC sports as one of the 25 most influential Canadians in sports for 2009. In 2012, Jackson was appointed to the Alberta Order of Excellence. In June 2015, he received an honorary degree from Western University in London, Ontario.
In 1959 Jackson enrolled to the University of Western Ontario where he started training in rowing. In 1963 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree and entered a graduate school at the University of Toronto, but shortly transferred to the University of British Columbia aiming to qualify for the 1964 Olympics. He did qualify, but his partner, Donald Pretty, had to be replaced by George Hungerford. Jackson and Hungerford first competed together at the Olympics, yet they won the gold medal.
In 1964, Jackson was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2005, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Own the Podium 2010 and inducted into the University of British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was named by CBC Sports as one of the 25 most influential Canadians in Sports for 2009. In 2012, Jackson was appointed to the Alberta Order of Excellence. In June 2015, he received an honorary degree from Western University in London, Ontario.
In 1967 Jackson graduated with a master's degree in physical education and then entered the University of Wisconsin. He defended a Ph.D. in biodynamics in 1971 and for his post-doctoral studies went to the University of Copenhagen. After retiring from rowing he became active as a Sports and medial administrator. He was the Director of Sport Canada from 1976 through 1978 and was President for three terms of the Canadian Olympic Committee (1982 through 1990). From 1978 to 1988, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. He was the founder and Director of the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre.
