Advice for family research

Hi, I am trying to help someone search for her biological half brother.  He was born in 1937, in Crossville and was given the name Jesse. The family saw him at a restaurant in Crossville in 1946, where he was introduced as Jay, and told them he was attending Crossville Elementary. Jay did not know this was his bio fathers family and they didn’t want to intrude on the life that had been made for him.   In 1951 her father went to Crossville again just to see how Jay was doing and was told at a grocery store that Jay was deceased.  This may be true but also they may have been concerned that it would disrupt Jay’s life.  Is there any school records or yearbooks from that time that I can look at? I don’t live local and it will be fall before I can visit. Thanks for any suggestions. 
Cathy