John Harris Jones

John Harris Jones, 91, Pine Bluff attorney, died Nov. 8, 2013 at home in Pine Bluff, Ark. He was born April 9, 1922, at New Blaine, Ark., son of Ira Burton and Byrd Harris Jones, descendants of early pioneers of Polk County. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Crosby Jones; four nieces and three nephews, Virginia Baldridge of St. Louis, Mo., Ann Donovan of Fayetteville, Patricia Tackett of Hot Springs, Cecelia Rodgers Miller of Missoula, Mont., John David Rodgers of Cheyenne, Wyo., Tom Donovan of Fayetteville, Joe Donovan of Kansas City; step-daughters Alicia Hart Baier of Covington, La., Anita Mitchell and Kaye Mitchell of Austin, Texas. His sisters, Theresa Rodgers of Casper and Elizabeth Donovan of Conway and step-daughter, Marion Hart Houston predeceased him. Jones practiced law at Pine Bluff 1947-2006. He graduated from Mena High School in 1937 and from Arkansas State Teachers College (UCA) in 1941. At ASTC he edited the college newspaper, was chairman of the student council, president of the senior class and Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. While working nights as a teletype operator for the FBI he attended George Washington University Law School 1941-1942, ranking first in his class. In July, 1942, Jones enlisted in the Army Reserve for training as an aviation cadet. He flew as a navigator on B-26 bombers with the 397th Bomb Group including two missions on D-Day, the invasion of Normandy. He received the Air Medal with cluster and Purple Heart with cluster. He survived two crash landings upon returning to England after bomber raids and a forced landing on the beachhead in Normandy. The Ft. Smith Times Record in February 1945 referred to him as "virtually indestructible" for surviving the bombing missions. Remaining in the Army Reserve he retired as a lieutenant colonel, army intelligence. After graduation from Yale Law School in 1947, he came to Pine Bluff to practice, first with the firm which became Bridges, Bridges, Young & Jones, later in solo practice and in partnership with Wayne Matthews, Robert Tolson Jr., and Melvin Petty. He served two terms on the State Board of Law Examiners and was a Special Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1997. In 1974, Jones was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate and in 1980 was a presidential elector for Ronald Reagan. Jones was the attorney and correspondent for the organizers of Pine Bluff National Bank (now Relyance Bank) and was the first chairman of its board of directors. Disturbed by slum housing in Pine Bluff, he joined in the construction and operation for more than 20 years of Southeast Apartments, 100 units of low income housing. He was also active in preventing demolition of the Pines Hotel, organizing investors who bought the hotel and later donated it to a non-profit organization, C.U.S.P. In 1953 and 1954 he was county chairman for National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis during which time the first field trials for the Salk polio vaccine were conducted by teams of volunteers in Jefferson County. Jones was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Pine Bluff. For several years he was listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. Services are 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Chapel of First Presbyterian Church, Pine Bluff with Reverend Susan Carter Wiggins and Dr. Susan M. Arnold officiating, directed by Ralph Robinson & Son. A reception follows at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to First Presbyterian Church, First Christian Church or Hospice Angels in Pine Bluff. Online register: www:ralphrobinsonandson.com.