Thomas G. Jones
Encyclopedia
Thomas Goode Jones was an American
Democratic politician
who was the 28th Governor of Alabama
from 1890 to 1894. Born in 1844 in Macon, Georgia
and died in 1914 in Montgomery, Alabama
.
Thomas Goode Jones was born November 26, 1844, at Macon, Georgia, to Samuel G. and Martha Goode Jones. He moved with his family to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1850 where he attended private schools. Jones also attended school in Virginia and eventually entered Virginia Military Institute
(VMI). In 1862 he left VMI with the rest of his classmates to serve in the Confederate Army under Stonewall Jackson
. Jones had an illustrious military career during the Civil War. He fought in many well-known battles in Virginia, including Petersburg and Spottsylvania, and was wounded four times. At Appomattox
Major Jones carried one of the flags of truce.
Upon his return to Alabama the Confederate veteran farmed for a few years in Montgomery County. In addition, he continued studying law, a pursuit he began during the war, and was admitted to the bar in 1868. That same year Jones edited the Montgomery Daily Picayune. From 1870-1880 he was the reporter for the Supreme Court.
Jones' military career continued after the war and coincided with his many other responsibilities. He was elected captain of the Montgomery Greys in 1876 and served as colonel of the 2nd Regiment, Alabama State Troops, from 1880 to 1890.
In this role, Jones was called upon to command state troops in every serious riot from 1874 to 1894, including the Possey and Hawes riots and coal miners' strike in Birmingham.
The military commander began his career as an elected public official in 1884 when he was elected to represent Montgomery County in the Alabama House of Representatives
. Jones was re-elected two years later and chosen to serve as the house speaker. In 1890 he defeated Reuben Kolb for the Democratic nomination for governor and was elected. Kolb was back in 1892 and broke off from the Democrats when, after another hard-fought political battle, Jones again secured the Democratic nomination. The Populist Kolb and his supporters formed the Jeffersonian party but the incumbent governor managed to secure re-election.
Many of the issues in the 1890 and 1892 elections are indicative of the issues Jones faced during his administration. Discontent among farmers over low prices for their produce and high freight rates resulted in the growth of populist ideas. Populists favored regulation of railroads and railroad rates, a national graduated income tax law, state election laws to deal with disputed elections, a secret ballot and more money for farmers. The National Panic of 1893
worsened the already bad economy in Alabama.
Although populist themes were in the forefront, Jones also dealt with other concerns as governor. He demonstrated constructive leadership by urging the legislature (albeit unsuccessfully) "to reform the convict leasing system and to improve the election laws." (Summersell. Alabama, p. 344) The Educational Apportionment Act did pass and provided counties with funds based on school population. Educational facilities continued to grow with the establishment of the Girls' Industrial School at Montevallo (later Alabama College, now the University of Montevallo). In Talladega, the Alabama School for Negro Deaf Mutes and Blind
was opened. District agricultural schools were established at Athens
and Evergreen
.
A talented, vigorous speaker who was often called upon to speak at memorial events in the North as well as the South, Jones' active career continued after his two terms as governor. He was chairman of the 1896 State Sound Money Convention in Indianapolis. In 1901 the former governor was elected president of the Alabama Bar Association, was a member of the Alabama Constitutional Convention and was appointed U.S. District Judge of the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama by President Theodore Roosevelt
at the recommendation for Booker T. Washington
.
On December 20, 1866, Jones married Georgene Caroline Bird of Montgomery. They had thirteen children (six boys and seven girls), four of whom died in infancy. One of their sons was Walter Burgwyn Jones
. Jones died in Montgomery on April 28, 1914.
Today, the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
at Faulkner University
, in Montgomery, Alabama, is named for him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Democratic politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who was the 28th Governor of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
from 1890 to 1894. Born in 1844 in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
and died in 1914 in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
.
Thomas Goode Jones was born November 26, 1844, at Macon, Georgia, to Samuel G. and Martha Goode Jones. He moved with his family to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1850 where he attended private schools. Jones also attended school in Virginia and eventually entered Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
(VMI). In 1862 he left VMI with the rest of his classmates to serve in the Confederate Army under Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
. Jones had an illustrious military career during the Civil War. He fought in many well-known battles in Virginia, including Petersburg and Spottsylvania, and was wounded four times. At Appomattox
Appomattox
Appomattox may refer to:*Appomattox, Virginia, a town*Appomattox County, Virginia* Appomattox Basin, a name for the Tri-Cities, Virginia region*Appomattox Court House, a court house in Virginia...
Major Jones carried one of the flags of truce.
Upon his return to Alabama the Confederate veteran farmed for a few years in Montgomery County. In addition, he continued studying law, a pursuit he began during the war, and was admitted to the bar in 1868. That same year Jones edited the Montgomery Daily Picayune. From 1870-1880 he was the reporter for the Supreme Court.
Jones' military career continued after the war and coincided with his many other responsibilities. He was elected captain of the Montgomery Greys in 1876 and served as colonel of the 2nd Regiment, Alabama State Troops, from 1880 to 1890.
In this role, Jones was called upon to command state troops in every serious riot from 1874 to 1894, including the Possey and Hawes riots and coal miners' strike in Birmingham.
The military commander began his career as an elected public official in 1884 when he was elected to represent Montgomery County in the Alabama House of Representatives
Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal amount of districts, with each constituency containing at least 42,380 citizens. There are no term...
. Jones was re-elected two years later and chosen to serve as the house speaker. In 1890 he defeated Reuben Kolb for the Democratic nomination for governor and was elected. Kolb was back in 1892 and broke off from the Democrats when, after another hard-fought political battle, Jones again secured the Democratic nomination. The Populist Kolb and his supporters formed the Jeffersonian party but the incumbent governor managed to secure re-election.
Many of the issues in the 1890 and 1892 elections are indicative of the issues Jones faced during his administration. Discontent among farmers over low prices for their produce and high freight rates resulted in the growth of populist ideas. Populists favored regulation of railroads and railroad rates, a national graduated income tax law, state election laws to deal with disputed elections, a secret ballot and more money for farmers. The National Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
worsened the already bad economy in Alabama.
Although populist themes were in the forefront, Jones also dealt with other concerns as governor. He demonstrated constructive leadership by urging the legislature (albeit unsuccessfully) "to reform the convict leasing system and to improve the election laws." (Summersell. Alabama, p. 344) The Educational Apportionment Act did pass and provided counties with funds based on school population. Educational facilities continued to grow with the establishment of the Girls' Industrial School at Montevallo (later Alabama College, now the University of Montevallo). In Talladega, the Alabama School for Negro Deaf Mutes and Blind
Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind
The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind is a school for people with blindness and/or deafness operated by the U. S. State of Alabama in the city of Talladega...
was opened. District agricultural schools were established at Athens
Athens, Alabama
Athens is a city in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 18,967. According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 24,234...
and Evergreen
Evergreen, Alabama
Evergreen is a city in Conecuh County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,944. The city is the county seat of Conecuh County.-History:Early settlers to the area came from Georgia and South Carolina beginning in 1818...
.
A talented, vigorous speaker who was often called upon to speak at memorial events in the North as well as the South, Jones' active career continued after his two terms as governor. He was chairman of the 1896 State Sound Money Convention in Indianapolis. In 1901 the former governor was elected president of the Alabama Bar Association, was a member of the Alabama Constitutional Convention and was appointed U.S. District Judge of the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama by President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
at the recommendation for Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
.
On December 20, 1866, Jones married Georgene Caroline Bird of Montgomery. They had thirteen children (six boys and seven girls), four of whom died in infancy. One of their sons was Walter Burgwyn Jones
Walter Burgwyn Jones
Walter Burgwyn Jones was a judge, legislator, and writer from Alabama.-Political career:Jones served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1919 to 1920. He was then a circuit court judge until 1935. Jones was a presiding judge from 1935 to 1963.While presiding over New York Times Co. v...
. Jones died in Montgomery on April 28, 1914.
Today, the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
The Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, also known as Jones Law, JLS or JSL, is one of the professional graduate schools of Faulkner University. Located in Montgomery, Alabama-History:...
at Faulkner University
Faulkner University
Faulkner University is a private Christian university, located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, and affiliated with the Church of Christ. The University was founded in 1942 as Montgomery Bible School. In 1953 the school's name was changed to Alabama Christian College . In 1965, the college was moved to...
, in Montgomery, Alabama, is named for him.