Sam H. Jones Sr.
Sam H. Jones Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 3, 1928 Heidelburg, Mississippi |
| Died | March 26, 2003 (aged 75) Indianapolis, IN |
Resting place | Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum 39°49′03″N 86°10′11″W / 39.8174209°N 86.1695842°W |
Sam Henry Jones Sr. (March 3, 1928 – March 26, 2003) was a civil rights leader and the first President of the Indianapolis Urban League.[1] Under his leadership, the organization aimed to uplift the African American community in Indianapolis through social, economic, and philanthropic programs.
Early life and education
[edit]Jones was born in Heidelberg, Mississippi, on March 3, 1928.[1] He attended Clark College and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1950.[1][2] He later attended Atlanta University and earned a Master of Arts in Sociology in 1954 and a Master of Social Work in 1956.[1] He married his wife, Prethenia, and together they had a daughter and two sons: Marya, Sam Jr., and Michael.[3]
Career
[edit]In 1955, he started his career at the Cleveland Urban League, serving as the Industrial Relations Secretary and Director of Vocational Education.[1][4] He served at the Pontiac, Michigan Urban League from 1961 to 1963 as the Executive Director and later served at the St. Paul, Minnesota Urban League from 1963 to 1966.[1][4] In 1966, Jones accepted the role of Executive Director of the newly chartered Indianapolis Urban League.[1][3]
Community involvement and activism
[edit]Jones had a strong connection to the community and was devoted to civic leadership. He was a member of the NAACP, the concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, board of Methodist Hospital, the Metropolitan Board of Missions of the United Methodist Church, and the Boy Scouts Council to name a few.[1][5] Jones was an active Methodist layman.[3] In May 1970, he was awarded doctor of humane letters degree by Marion College.[4] the following year, the National Conference of Christians and Jews honored him as a recipient of the brotherhood award.[4]
In 1976, Mayor William H. Hudnut III, declared in a proclamation that November 24 would be observed as "Sam H. Jones Day".[5] The Airport Expressway was renamed to Sam Jones Expressway by Mayor Bart Peterson in honor of Jones and his legacy.[6]
Jones was a Sublime Prince of the Scottish Rite Masons of Indiana.[7] He received this thirty-third and last degree of Masonry in May 1988.[7]
In 2005, The Urban League unveiled a portrait of Jones in his honor.[8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 coles (2023-02-23). "Sam H. Jones". Crown Hill Foundation. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
- ↑ "Indianapolis Recorder 29 November 2002 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- 1 2 3 "Indianapolis Recorder 23 July 1966 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- 1 2 3 4 "Indianapolis Recorder 15 July 1972 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- 1 2 "Indianapolis Recorder 4 December 1976 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ "Influential person: Sam Jones". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- 1 2 "Indianapolis Recorder 28 May 1988 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ "Indianapolis Recorder 28 October 2005 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-22.