Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-09
COL. E. LESTER JONES
SUMMONED BY DEATH
AFTER LONG ILLNESS

Continued From First Page)
international boundary-United States
Alaska and Canada member of
Board Of Surveys and Maps and Federal
Personnel Board. He was life trus-
tee of the National Geographic Society,
a member of the American Society of
Civil Engineers, the Cosmos Club, the
Washington Academy of Sciences. the
Explorers Club of America and direc-
tor of the Washington Society of En-
gineers.
Funeral arrangements had not been
completed early this afternoon. Col
Jones is survived by his widow, Mrs
Elizabeth Brent Jones; two daughters,
Miss Cecil Jones of this city and Mrs.
Stanley Barker of Porto Rico: three
brothers, Brewster Jones, at present in
Italy: DR.. w. L. j. Jones, Tif1n, Ohio,
and Henry L. Jones of Madison, N. j..
and two grandchildren.
Col. E. Lester Jones had the distinc-
ton of being the first post and first
department commander in the Amer
lean Legion. 1t was on February S.
1919, that there was held In the Cosmos
Club, this city. an informal meeting
called by him for the purpose of con-
veterans organization to commemorate
association and comradeShip of those
who participated in the World War.
Caucus March :, 1919.
A call was issued February %, 1919
for caucus to be held in the Cosmos
Club, of which Col. Jones was an active
member, and on March 7, 1919, the
meeting was held in the assembly hall
with 375 veterans present. Instead of a
veteran organization being formed II
was voted to organize the first unit OF
such an organization and this was done
The post was named Gen Pershing
Post, No. l." in honor of his close friend
Gen. Pershing, with whom he served
overseas. Col. Jones sent the following
cablegram to Gen. Pershtng the next
day advising him Of the action taken.
This cablegram read as follows:
II have the honor to inform you that
on March Z, the first veteran post OF
the World War was organized in the
Nations Capital, which was unani-
mously named Gen. Pershing Post No
/. Delegates we're named to confer
with representatives from our forces
overseas, looking toward the early for
nation of national organization.
e. LESTER JONES,
Post Commander.
Colonel, Air. Service"
On February IS, 1919 a representa-
tive group of officers and men, who
were still overseas, met in Paris and
initiated a movement for a similar
organization. This group completed
arrangements for a caucus, which was
held in Paris, March IS, 1919. eight
days after the caucus held in the
Cosmos Club.
Col. Jones headed the first delega-
ton, which attended the caucus held
in st. Louis, Mo-, May 8, 9 and 10
1919. At this caucus there was adopted
the preamble, which has made the
American Legion famous the world
over. The ground work for that
preamble was drafted by Col. Jones
chairman of the District delegation and
was formally presented by the delega-
ton to the caucus.
Elected First Commander.
On returning to this city q largely
attended meeting was held in the Gen.
tral High School INLAY 10, 1919, and
by virtue of authority. vested in the
District delegation the Department OF
the District of Columbia, the American
Legion, was organized and Col. Jones
elected its first commander. Col. Jones
was q close friend of the late President
Woodrow Wilson, by reason of they
being graduates from Princeton Univer-
sity. He presented the names of Presi-
dent Wilson and Gen. Pershing fol
membership in Gen. Pershing Post the
year he was post commander. In 1921
Marshal Ferdinand Foch, who died last
week in Paris, was elected a member
Of the post.
During the early days Of the lorna.
ton Of the American Legion he tool
an active part in the work, and par
ticularly noticeable was his work II
connection with the department Of The
District of Columbia. It was through
the inauguration of one of his policie:
when the veterans were returning
from overseas that thousands Of vet
Grams were placed in positions In thi.
city. He formed an employment com
mittee and after two thousand or NOR,
veterans had been located the Gov
eminent took up the work and ar
ranged bureau to carry on the worl
along similar lines. His work with tn,
disabled veterans in the local hospital
and the sympathetic services which
he rendered will never be forgotten b,
thousands whom he assisted and late
secured compensation to rehabilitat
them in the business world.
Col. Jones was chairman of the boart
of governors of the clubhouse, ownet
by George Washington Post, No. /, for
| merly Gen. Pershing Post, No. /, at 144
Rhode Island avenue, and has served il
that capacity since the purchase of tn
first clubhouse at Nineteenth and
| streets northwest. The negotiations 70
! fha YAntp n1tlhhnf1en nxA 5hnHa Te1arxA n va
nue. were completed through his activi
! ty and the board of governors, and thi
structure viii stand as q monument t,
his efforts and devotion to the SAmeri
| can Legion in this city.
DR.. Gilbert Grosvenor, president o
the National Geographic Society, ex
pressed his personal grief at the new
| of Col. Jones' death, and paid q tribut
| to his valued counsel and service q
q member of the society's board O
! trustees" Col. Jones, DR.. Grosveno
| said, was one of the distinguish
group of men who, as members of on
board, have given unsparingly Of thei
time and energy to the service of tn
society in its scientific and educations
work"
Col. Jones, in addition to his admins
trative and scientific work with tn
Coast and Geodetic Survey. has been
member of number Of important Gov
eminent and scientific missions. On
of the last of these was his appoint
ment as . delegate to the Internations
Geographical Congress of 1928, In Cam
bridge, England, where he delivered a
address outlining the explorations an
scientific research Of the National Gee
graphic Society. This address, whic
| er,ifounized major events of America
geographic discovery, was translate
into many languages and printed !
scientific periodicals all over the worl'