Edward A. Jones
Encyclopedia
Edward Allen Jones, born in 1903, was an African-American linguist, scholar and diplomat. Jones is best known for his book, A Candle in the Dark: A History of Morehouse College. Jones received his Bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College
in 1926, where he was the school’s valedictorian
. He received his Master’s degree from Middlebury College
in 1930 and his Ph.D. from Cornell University
in 1943.
In 1929, Jones studied at Grenoble University in France where he received a Certificate d’Etudes Francais (with special mention). The following year Jones was awarded a fellowship to study at Middlebury University by the General Education Board.
E.A. Jones was born to George and Carrie Jones of Indianpola, Mississippi. He entered a prep academy at the age of fifteen in 1918 where he began the study of Latin and Greek languages. He was married to Virginia Lacy Jones
a GED Fellow at the University of Illinois and the second African American to earn a Ph.D. in Library Science
in the nation (from the University of Chicago
).
. Thereafter, Jones embarked upon a distinguished forty-year career as professor of French and the Fuller E. Callaway chair of the department of Modern Foreign Languages at Morehouse College. As a researcher, Jones received the Corson French Prize at Cornell University in 1942 and was a Romance Language and Literature Scholar at Cornell from 1942-1943. In 1944, he was elected into Phi Kappa Phi
chapter.
In 1968, Jones received the Ford Foundation
Sabbatical Research fellowship during which he published several books and articles. Jones was elected into Phi Beta Kappa in 1960 and was listed in the Outstanding Educators in America in 1972.
In 1970, he was appointed by President Leopold Sedar Senghor
, as the honorary Consul to Senegal
and in 1977 he became the editor of the College Language Association Journal (CLA).
(A Candle in the Dark)
“Stop complaining about what has been done, and get down to the business of doing something yourself. Get out and make something of yourself. Force yourself into the mainstream. Be competitive. Instead of expecting handouts and special considerations, exploit your own abilities.”
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
in 1926, where he was the school’s valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
. He received his Master’s degree from Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in 1930 and his Ph.D. from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1943.
In 1929, Jones studied at Grenoble University in France where he received a Certificate d’Etudes Francais (with special mention). The following year Jones was awarded a fellowship to study at Middlebury University by the General Education Board.
E.A. Jones was born to George and Carrie Jones of Indianpola, Mississippi. He entered a prep academy at the age of fifteen in 1918 where he began the study of Latin and Greek languages. He was married to Virginia Lacy Jones
Virginia Lacy Jones
Virginia Lacy Jones was a preeminent African-American librarian who throughout her 50-year career in the field pushed for the integration of public and academic libraries...
a GED Fellow at the University of Illinois and the second African American to earn a Ph.D. in Library Science
Library science
Library science is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the...
in the nation (from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
).
Career
He began his teaching career at Edward Waters CollegeEdward Waters College
-External links:* -- Official web site** at * Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs** **...
. Thereafter, Jones embarked upon a distinguished forty-year career as professor of French and the Fuller E. Callaway chair of the department of Modern Foreign Languages at Morehouse College. As a researcher, Jones received the Corson French Prize at Cornell University in 1942 and was a Romance Language and Literature Scholar at Cornell from 1942-1943. In 1944, he was elected into Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
chapter.
In 1968, Jones received the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
Sabbatical Research fellowship during which he published several books and articles. Jones was elected into Phi Beta Kappa in 1960 and was listed in the Outstanding Educators in America in 1972.
In 1970, he was appointed by President Leopold Sedar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor was a Senegalese poet, politician, and cultural theorist who for two decades served as the first president of Senegal . Senghor was the first African elected as a member of the Académie française. Before independence, he founded the political party called the Senegalese...
, as the honorary Consul to Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and in 1977 he became the editor of the College Language Association Journal (CLA).
Famous Quotes
“It is better to light a candle in the dark than to curse the darkness.”(A Candle in the Dark)
“Stop complaining about what has been done, and get down to the business of doing something yourself. Get out and make something of yourself. Force yourself into the mainstream. Be competitive. Instead of expecting handouts and special considerations, exploit your own abilities.”
Selected Works
- A Candle in the Dark: A History of Morehouse College (Judson Press, 1967)
- Voices of Negritude (1971)
- The Autobiography of Daddy King as Told to Edward A. Jones
- Morehouse College:In Business Ninety Years-Building Men (The Phylon Quarterly, 1957)
- Black French Colonial Administrator (The Phylon Quarterly, 1973)