Madelyn Scales Harris was born and raised in Murfreesboro, TN. She was educated in the Murfreesboro City Schools, Central High School, and Middle Tennessee State University in 1974 with a BS degree and also has completed some Post-graduate work at MTSU.

She is retired from State Farm Insurance after 36 years where she worked in Miami, FL during Hurricane Andrew and an ice storm in Louisville, KY. She worked as a Personal Lines and Business Account Underwriter. Also while at State Farm she developed and presented motivational presentations for management and employees. She also worked in her family owned business Scales and Sons Funeral Home.

Madelyn is the proud mother of a son, Robert Edmond Harris, who is a graduate from Morehouse College Cum Laude in Accounting and a Master's degree from Georgia State in Sports Administration both in Atlanta, GA.

Madelyn is the daughter of the late Robert (Tee-Ninny) Scales who served on the Murfreesboro City Council twenty four years, and served as Vice-Mayor over half his years of service. Her mother, the late Mary Caruthers Scales, also served on the Murfreesboro City Council for four years. They were both very dedicated to serving their community in Murfreesboro and were honored in having a school, Scales Elementary, named in their honor.

Madelyn's past and present affiliations include: Leadership Rutherford, Murfreesboro Citizen Police Academy, First Baptist Church Past Sunday School Teacher, Youth Director and Budget Chairperson, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Directors of Rutherford County, Murfreesboro City Cable TV Board, Linebaugh Library Board, Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Board, Murfreesboro Breakfast Rotary, League of Women Voters, United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties, NAACP, Leadership Academy, Murfreesboro City Council, Murfreesboro City Disciplinary Committee, National League of Cities, Heritage Festival Board, Tennessee Municipal League and Women in Municipal Government.