Edward A. Jones papers

Collection

Identifier: 0000-0000-0000-0132

Staff Only

Scope and contents

This collection documents the life and work of Edward A. Jones, a college professor, author, editor and world traveler. The Edward A. Jones papers span the years between 1917 and 1983, and documents his fifty years of service as a professor of languages at Morehouse College. While the bulk of the collection dates from 1963 to 1979, these papers include materials documenting his work in the Modern Foreign Languages Department, which consist of exams, course outlines, course schedules, class syllabi and additional course materials from the other schools within the Atlanta University Center (AUC). In addition, Dr. Jones oversaw the Merrill Junior-Year Program, which includes applications, awards letters, correspondence and press releases related to the scholarships provided to students to study various languages abroad.

This collection also offers significant information about Dr. Jones’ writings, which includes the two books he wrote, A Candle In the Dark: A History of Morehouse College and Voices of Negritude. There are correspondence, handwritten and typed drafts with edits, promotional cards and the original typed manuscript included in A Candle In the Dark: A History of Morehouse College. Voices of Negritude includes a flyer, typed manuscript, manuscript draft with translations, royalty receipt, correspondence and translation of poems.

Also included are personal papers, correspondence, memorabilia, organizational materials, audio visual materials and printed and published materials. Of particular note, there are copies of journals in the collection that Dr. Jones notated as “marked copy” on the cover and these journals contain articles or book reviews written by him. There is also information within the collection about Dr. Jones’ Tribute and Appreciation Dinner for fifty years of service to Morehouse College as well as his appointment as Honorary Consul to Senegal by President Leopold Sedar Senghor.

Dates

Creation: 1917-1983
Creation: Majority of material found within 1963-1979

Creator

Jones, Edward A., 1903-1981 (Person)

Access restriction

This series contains restricted materials, such as cassette tapes, scrapbooks, and reel to reel. These materials cannot be viewed. Materials have been restricted due to the type of media and the inability to access them at this time. Materials in this series, such as student grades and other materials containing personal information, have also been restricted due to the nature of the information in the materials and cannot be accessed. The series also contains fragile materials that cannot be accessed at this time.

Rights statement

All materials in this collection are either protected by copyright or are the property of the Robert W, Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center, Inc., and/or the copyright holder as appropriate. For more information, please contact archives@auctr.edu

Biographical note

Edward Allen Jones (1903-1981) was born in Indianola, MS on November 10, 1903. He attended Morehouse Academy in 1918. Upon graduation from the Academy in 1922, he entered Morehouse College, where he received his B.A. and graduated as class Valedictorian in 1926. Dr. Jones continued his education at Middlebury College where he received his M.A. degree in French in 1930, and at Cornell University, where he earned a Ph.D. in French in 1943.

Dr. Jones began his teaching career at Morehouse College in 1927 and worked as a professor there until 1977. While a member of the Morehouse faculty, he served as Chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages from 1930-1977, and held the Fuller E. Callaway Chair in French from 1970-1977. At the time of his death he was serving as the Director of Institutional Research at Morehouse.

As a scholar, professor, and author, Dr. Jones wrote the official history of Morehouse College, A Candle in the Dark in 1967. He is also the author of Voices of Negritude, more than thirty articles and numerous books. Additionally, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Morehouse College Bulletin for 37 years.

Beyond his career as a French professor, Dr. Jones was a member of the College Language Association and served as President from 1950-1952 and later worked as the Editor of the College Language Association Journal from 1977-1978. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and served on the Qualifications Committee of that scholarly fraternity.

Dr. Jones was appointed by Sengal's President Leopold Sedar Senghor as Honorary Consul to Atlanta and Georgia in 1970. He is listed in Who Who's in the South and Southwest, Who's Who in Colored America, Directory of American Scholars, Who's Who Among Black Americans, Outstanding Educators of America, Contemporary Authors, and Man of Achievement.

Dr. Jones was a world traveler and went abroad to Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean on many occasions. While in West Africa in 1960, he directed an American and Canadian work study group in Operation Crossroads Africa, and in 1963 he was an Operation Crossroads Africa Area Director in French-speaking West African countries. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of European Studies and Coordinator of the Merrill Junior-Year-Abroad Program at Morehouse College.

As an active member of the community, Dr. Jones served as President of the Grand Jurors Association of Fulton County in 1979 and Chairman of the Executive Committee of that organization in 1980. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Big Brothers/Sisters Association of Atlanta and was also Chairman of the Board of Deacons of the First Congregational Church of Atlanta.

Edward Jones married Virginia Lacy Jones, Dean of the Atlanta University School of Library and Information study, in 1941. They had two sons, Dr. Edward A. Jones, Jr. and Carl H. Jones.

Extent

38 Linear feet

Language of Materials

English

French

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into eight series: 1. Personal Papers; 2. Correspondence; 3. Organizations; 4. Morehouse College; 5. Writings; 6. Writings by Others; 7. Printed and Published materials; 8. Audio/Visual materials. All of the series and subseries are arranged alphabetically or chronologically.