Researching Joseph Jones

Jones graduated from Tulane and was admitted to the bar. He built a successful law practice in New Orleans as the senior partner of Jones, Flanders & Waechter. In 1937 the firm reorganized and eventually became Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre L.L.P.

In 1942, the law practice was set aside temporarily as a number of associates joined the armed services. Jones was too old to enlist, but went to work in the state department. His gift for analysis and abilities as a speech writer let to his appointment as Assistant Secretary in 1946. He became an active supporter of the Marshall Plan, writing parts of speeches for Dean Acheson, George Marshall, and Harry S. Truman. Jones left federal service in 1948 and returned to Louisiana and the practice of law.

He was a fellow of Yale University's Department of Political Science, an editor of Fortune, and a special consultant to the United Nations.

In 1947 Jones had joined the board of Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund. He became its president and served there for the rest of his life. In early 1963 he announced that Tulane would admit black students, beginning in the spring semester. He and his wife were killed when fire swept their home in Metairie, Louisiana soon after. Arson was suspected but never proven.

Dr. Jones' father, a sea captain who had been in the employ of the Russian American Company (Alaska), died in 1819 in Unalaska, leaving Dr. Jones and his four siblings to be raised by his mother back in Boston. Dr. Jones debuted as an actor at the age of 18 in a production of "The Turnpike Gate" in Providence Rhode Island. He was at different times proprietor and manager of the Old National, Tremont, and other theatres in Boston. In 1843 he graduated from Harvard Medical School, and held the place of city physician for several years during the administrations of Mayor Wightman and Mayor Lincoln. Dr. Jones was a member of Mechanic Light Infantry, and was connected for many years with the old First Regiment as surgeon.

Dr. Jones married Hannah Canterbury Dexter (1812–1870). They had four children. He married second his first wife's sister, Louisa Goward Dexter (1814–1890). Nathaniel Dexter Jones, (1838–1912), his son, was also an actor and theater manager. He was a member of the Howard Athenaeum Stock Company for many years and was connected with the stage for 52 years.

Jones was a prolific author, writing about 200 plays. The most popular among them were:

*Captain Kyd; or, The Wizard of the Sea (National Theatre, Boston, 1830)*Eugene Aram*The Liberty Tree; or, Boston Boys in '76 (Warren Theatre, Boston, 1832). This was Jones's first successful play. It celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Revolutionary War. Jones played the Yankee character Bill Ball.*The Green Mountain Boy (Park Theatre, New York, March 19, 1833). Provided actor George Handel Hill one of his most famous roles, as Jedediah Homebred, a Yankee servant with an inexhaustible supply of homespun sayings.*The Fire Warrior*The Siege of Boston*The Surgeon of Paris; or, The Mask of the Huguenots (National Theatre Boston, January 8, 1838). Sequel to The Carpenter of Rouen.*Moll Pitcher; or, The Fortune Teller of Lynn (National Theatre, Boston, 1839). Based on the life of Moll Pitcher, a famous New England fortune-teller.*Solon Shingle; or, The People's Lawyer (National Theatre, Boston, 1839). Jones's best-known play tells the story of the trial of Charles Otis, a poor clerk framed by a coworker for stealing. The play's popularity rests on the character of Solon Shingle, played by John E. Owens. Owens was a great success in the role, making his final performance as Shingle in New York in 1884.*Stephen Burroughs*The Carpenter of Rouen; or, A Revenge for the Massacre of St. Bartholomew (Chatham Theatre, New York, November 16, 1840). "A mechanic, sir, is one of God's noblemen.... The Supreme Ruler of the universe is himself the Great Mechanic."*Job and Jacob Gray*The Last Dollar*The Sons of the Cape*Zofara*Captain Lascar*Paul Revere and the Sons of Liberty written in 1875.*The Silver Spoon; or, Our Own Folks (Boston Museum, February 16, 1852). William Warren the younger, of the Boston Museum, made a great success as Jefferson Scattering Batkins. The play concerns a humorous country delegate to the Massachusetts General Court who is tricked by the other characters. It was revived at that theater through many seasons and reprinted in 1911.*The Three Experiments of Living, a dramatization of the novel by Mrs. Hannah F. Lee.

Dr. Jones also published a novel in 1871, "Life of Jefferson S. Batkins, Member from Cranberry Centre, Written by Himself, Assisted by the Author of The Silver Spoon".

Jones supported copyright protection and adequate compensation for authors. Source: In this letter, Dr. Jones points to the weakness of the copyright laws, that several of his plays have been performed throughout the States without remuneration to himself. He also notes that his plays were meant to be performed, not read.

Jones was head of Rhos Street School, and later founded the Clwyd Bank Academy, a private grammar school, at Ruthin. His compositions included songs and hymn tunes, the best-known of which is 'Capel y Ddôl'.

Clwyd Bank Rhuthun Stryd Clwyd Street 01.JPG|Commemorative plaqueClwyd Bank Rhuthun Stryd Clwyd Street 03.JPG|Clwyd Bank

Born in St Helens, Jones studied at a technical college before becoming a coal miner. He moved to work at Thurcroft, and was elected branch secretary of the Yorkshire Miners' Association (YMA) in 1914. He was an active methodist, and strongly promoted the cause of temperance, later becoming Chairman of the Workers' Temperance League. He was elected as a Labour Party member of West Riding County Council in 1919, serving until 1933. In 1923, Jones was elected as Treasurer of the YMA and, the following year, he became its General Secretary. He was elected to Barnsley Town Council in 1926, serving as Mayor of Barnsley in 1931.

In 1924, Jones contested the General Secretaryship of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) as the candidate of the union's right-wing, but he was narrowly defeated by the communist A. J. Cook. From 1926 until 1931, Jones was on the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party, and from 1930 to 1938 he was the government's Coal Mine Reorganisation Commissioner. Jones was elected as Vice President of the MFGB in 1932, then in 1934 became the union's President. He was one of two assessors during the 1937 enquiry into the Gresford disaster. During the enquiry both assessors disagreed with the commissioner's report and published their own reports as addenda. He resigned as MFGB president in 1938 to join the Coal Commission, and in 1947 was appointed as advisor on social insurance to the National Coal Board.

Jones was a Justice of the peace (JP) and in the 1932 New Year Honours was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).