Joseph D. Eggleston was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, in 1867. He attended college at Hampden-Sydney College, completing his degree in 1886. He taught at schools in several southern states before becoming the superintendent in Asheville, North Carolina in 1891 and later superintendent of schools in Farmville, Virginia. During his tenure as state Superintendent of Public Instruction (1906-1912), he worked hard for improvements in rural schools. In January of 1913, he began work with the Field Service in Rural Education in the US Office of Education. The same year, he resigned to take the post of VPI President (1913-1919).

Eggleston became the seventh president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) in 1913. His six-year administration was most notably marked by the development of the agricultural extension program at VPI. In 1914, the Agricultural Extension Division was established. The Virginia General Assembly transferred control of agricultural demonstration work to VPI, so the Home Demonstration program began in 1915. Much of Eggleston's presidential tenure was during the years of World War I. The college became a training school for both the army and navy during this time. A Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program was established at VPI in 1916. In January 1919, the college was designated by the War Department as one of twelve "Distinguished Colleges" in the nation for its contribution to the war effort. In the spring of 1919, Eggleston resigned to become president of Hampden-Sydney College, his alma mater. He served there from 1919 to 1939. Eggleston died in Farmville, Virginia, in 1953.