Thomas Hudson Jones
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hudson Jones was a U.S. sculptor for the Army's Institute of Heraldry
.
His father was an engraver and encouraged him from childhood to be a sculptor. He attended the Albright Art School in Buffalo, NY. At 19 he won the Prix de Rome
Fellowship for 3 years of study at the American Academy of Art
in Rome
, Italy
. The judges however decided that he was too young to go at the time.
He worked in the studio of Daniel Chester French
while French was working on the seated Lincoln
for the Lincoln Memorial
. Jones left French in 1917. Jones first job was a bust of General Grant
for the Hall of Fame. He enlisted and served in World War I
and after the war took the fellowship in Rome.
He returned to the United States in 1922 to sculpt and teach at Columbia University
in New York
. In 1934 he returned to Rome to serve as a Professor of Fine Arts at the academy.
Jones designed the ornate 50-foot-high bronze
doors for the New Library of Brooklyn. In Washington, D.C.
, he designed three reliefs of law givers for the House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol
(1950) and the Statue of Christ in St. Matthews Church in Washington, D.C.
His most well known design was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
, with its architect Lorimer Rich
, in 1929. According to Jones, "There were 74 of us sculptors and architects competing for the honor." This work made him well known in government circles even before he came to Washington.
At the request of the Government, Jones left his McDougal Alley studio in Greenwich Village
, New York in 1944 and started work for the Institute of Heraldry in the Washington. He stayed with the Institute of Heraldry after the war ended.
He designed the Air Force Academy
seal as well over 40 US military service medals including the World War II Victory Medal
and Army of Occupation Medal
.
His work earned him international acclaim and he was recognized by Who's Who in Art, Who's Who in America and was a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and exhibitor and member of the National Academy of Design
.
United States Army Institute of Heraldry
The United States Army Institute of Heraldry furnishes heraldic services to the Armed Forces and other United States government organizations, including the Executive Office of the President...
.
His father was an engraver and encouraged him from childhood to be a sculptor. He attended the Albright Art School in Buffalo, NY. At 19 he won the Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
Fellowship for 3 years of study at the American Academy of Art
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The judges however decided that he was too young to go at the time.
He worked in the studio of Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
while French was working on the seated Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (1920 statue)
Abraham Lincoln is a colossal seated figure of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln sculpted by Daniel Chester French and carved by the Piccirilli Brothers. It is situated in the Lincoln Memorial , on the National Mall, Washington, D.C., USA, and was unveiled in 1922...
for the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
. Jones left French in 1917. Jones first job was a bust of General Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
for the Hall of Fame. He enlisted and served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and after the war took the fellowship in Rome.
He returned to the United States in 1922 to sculpt and teach at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In 1934 he returned to Rome to serve as a Professor of Fine Arts at the academy.
Jones designed the ornate 50-foot-high bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
doors for the New Library of Brooklyn. In Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, he designed three reliefs of law givers for the House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
(1950) and the Statue of Christ in St. Matthews Church in Washington, D.C.
His most well known design was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
, with its architect Lorimer Rich
Lorimer Rich
Lorimer Rich American architect, born in Camden, New York. He is now best remembered for collaborating with sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones on the winning entry in a nationwide competition to create a design for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.Rich graduated from...
, in 1929. According to Jones, "There were 74 of us sculptors and architects competing for the honor." This work made him well known in government circles even before he came to Washington.
At the request of the Government, Jones left his McDougal Alley studio in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, New York in 1944 and started work for the Institute of Heraldry in the Washington. He stayed with the Institute of Heraldry after the war ended.
He designed the Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
seal as well over 40 US military service medals including the World War II Victory Medal
World War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
and Army of Occupation Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
The Army of Occupation Medal is a military award of the United States military which was established by the United States War Department on 5 April 1946. The medal was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to recognize those who had performed occupation service in either Germany or Japan...
.
His work earned him international acclaim and he was recognized by Who's Who in Art, Who's Who in America and was a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and exhibitor and member of the National Academy of Design
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
.