Nathaniel R. Jones
Encyclopedia
Judge Nathaniel R. Jones (born May 12, 1926) has served as a lawyer, jurist, academic, and public servant. He was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit before his retirement in March 2002. As general counsel of the NAACP, he gained recognition for his legal efforts to end school segregation in the northern United States.
district of Youngstown, Ohio
, several blocks from a federal courthouse that now bears his name. He served with the U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II
. After the war, he pursued his education at Youngstown State University
, receiving his A.B. in 1951, and his LL.B. in 1956. Judge Jones was admitted to the bar in 1957.
. In 1962, he became the first African American
to be appointed as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland
. He held that position until his 1967 appointment as Assistant General Counsel to President Lyndon B. Johnson
]]'s National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (the Kerner Commission). Following his term with the Kerner Commission
, Judge Jones returned to private practice with the firm of Goldberg & Jones in Youngstown.
In 1969, he was asked to serve as general counsel of the NAACP by executive director Roy Wilkins
. The following year, Judge Jones was honored by more than 600 dignitaries at an NAACP recognition banquet held in Youngstown. In a keynote address, he described the situation of African Americans in the following terms: "We still live in the basement of the great society. We must keep plodding until we get what we are striving for". For the next nine years, Judge Jones directed all NAACP litigation. In addition to personally arguing several cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, he coordinated national efforts to end northern school segregation, to defend affirmative action
, to inquire into discrimination against black servicemen in the U.S. military, and successfully coordinated the NAACP's defense on First Amendment
grounds in the Mississippi
Boycott
case.
nominated Judge Jones to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
. Judge Jones took his oath of office on October 15, 1979. Judge Jones served on the court for 23 years, retiring in 2002. He is now employed as Senior Counsel in the Cincinnati
office of Blank Rome LLP.
Judge Jones’ record of community and academic service includes teaching at the Harvard Law School
. His efforts in civil and human rights have taken him to countries around the world, and in 1993, he served on the team of observers for the first democratic elections in South Africa
.
On May 6, 2003, the second federal courthouse established in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, was named in honor of Judge Jones. Former U.S. Representative Louis B. Stokes
of Cleveland was on hand for the naming ceremony. "This building, which will forever carry your name, will be a testament to outstanding public service by a local boy made good", Stokes said.
Early years
Judge Jones was born in the Smoky HollowSmoky Hollow (neighborhood)
Smoky Hollow is a neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio. Located northeast of Youngstown's downtown, Smoky Hollow is now part of the campus of Youngstown State University...
district of Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, several blocks from a federal courthouse that now bears his name. He served with the U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, he pursued his education at Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
, receiving his A.B. in 1951, and his LL.B. in 1956. Judge Jones was admitted to the bar in 1957.
Legal career
After four years in private practice, Judge Jones served as Executive Director of the Fair Employment Practices CommissionFair Employment Practices Commission
The Fair Employment Practices Commission implemented US Executive Order 8802, requiring that companies with government contracts not to discriminate on the basis of race or religion. It was intended to help African Americans and other minorities obtain jobs in the homefront industry...
. In 1962, he became the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to be appointed as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. He held that position until his 1967 appointment as Assistant General Counsel to President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
]]'s National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (the Kerner Commission). Following his term with the Kerner Commission
Kerner Commission
The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known as the Kerner Commission after its chair, Governor Otto Kerner, Jr. of Illinois, was an 11-member commission established by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the causes of the 1967 race riots in the United States and to provide...
, Judge Jones returned to private practice with the firm of Goldberg & Jones in Youngstown.
In 1969, he was asked to serve as general counsel of the NAACP by executive director Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins was a prominent civil rights activist in the United States from the 1930s to the 1970s. Wilkins' most notable role was in his leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ....
. The following year, Judge Jones was honored by more than 600 dignitaries at an NAACP recognition banquet held in Youngstown. In a keynote address, he described the situation of African Americans in the following terms: "We still live in the basement of the great society. We must keep plodding until we get what we are striving for". For the next nine years, Judge Jones directed all NAACP litigation. In addition to personally arguing several cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, he coordinated national efforts to end northern school segregation, to defend affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
, to inquire into discrimination against black servicemen in the U.S. military, and successfully coordinated the NAACP's defense on First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
grounds in the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
Boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
case.
Judicial career and beyond
On May 17, 1979, President Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
nominated Judge Jones to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
. Judge Jones took his oath of office on October 15, 1979. Judge Jones served on the court for 23 years, retiring in 2002. He is now employed as Senior Counsel in the Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
office of Blank Rome LLP.
Judge Jones’ record of community and academic service includes teaching at the Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. His efforts in civil and human rights have taken him to countries around the world, and in 1993, he served on the team of observers for the first democratic elections in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
On May 6, 2003, the second federal courthouse established in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, was named in honor of Judge Jones. Former U.S. Representative Louis B. Stokes
Louis Stokes
Louis Stokes is a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served in the United States House of Representatives....
of Cleveland was on hand for the naming ceremony. "This building, which will forever carry your name, will be a testament to outstanding public service by a local boy made good", Stokes said.