St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-01-22

years.
He was born in Richmond
Joseph Edom Jones and Rosa L
Mr.. Jones was a resident of
Flushing for nearly helf century,
and was chief executive Of the
Urban League for nearly forty
years. He was consultant TO the
Leagues Board at the time of his
death. Mr.. Jones retired as gener-
al secretary of the National Urban
League July 81, 1860.
From its founding in 1910 as a
one-office agency with one full
time employee, with a budget of
$4,000, Mr.. Jones guided the
League to its present nationwide
scope of more than fifty Leagues
with approximately 400 employees
and total national budget of ST.
100000. During all Of this per-
iod, Mrs. Philitus w. Joyce was
associated with Mr.. Jones as adj
ministrative assistant.
Under Mr.. Jones direction the
League invested more than $780,
900 in the training of lis fellows
in the field Of social work to 1850.
Through these fellowships,
many talented young Negroes a
chieved success. Among such
alumni are: Forester B. WASH
ington, retired director of the At
lanta School of Social Work and
presently consultant on program
development with the National
Urban League: Alonzo G. Moron,
president of Hampton Institute;
DIR. Ira DeA. Reid, chairman of
the department of Sociology. Hav-
erford College. Penn; DR.. Warren
NJ. Banner, director of research;
and r. Maurice Moss. associate
executive director, National Ur-
ban League.
The League, under Mr.. Jones'
leadership, encouraged and help
ed Negro writer's and artists
through OPPORTUNITY Magazine,
which was founded by DR.. Charles
S. Johnson, president of Fisk Uni
versity, who was also the Leagues
first director of research, and
edited for some years by Elmer
A. Carter. commissioner, State
Commission against Discrimina-
ton. The late Countee Cullen,
poet, was one of the brilliant
young writers discovered by Mr..
Jones. Mr.. Jones negotiated the
purchase Of the New York public
Lbrary's Schomburg Collection
on Negro life and literature. He
channeled League effort into CO.
operation with government, to
bring adequate help to the Negro
population during the depression
in the early thirties.
Recognized as an elder states
man in race relations, Mr.. Jones.
who graduated from Virginia
Union and Cornell Universities,
and honored by his alma mater,
Virginia University with an LID
degree. began his professional car
GERS as a school teacher In Louis
vile. Kentucky. His social work
contributions began with a report
on the Negro community Of New
York. He arranged the first meet
ing of Negro leaders with Samuel
Gompers and the AFT Of l. in 1918,
and guided League endorsement of
organized labor. The National Ur-
ban League was the first national
social work agency which develop
ed a policy regarding labor.
During his very active life, he
held many important positions in
the field of social work. civic and
governmental agencies.
At the time of Mr.. Jones' retire
ment in 1850, he reported on the
progress in race relations which
he had seen during his lifetime
and stated: Much of it resulted
not from mass pressure or politi-
cal compromise. but from the
tremendous changes occurring in
the deep South where prominent
white and Negro leaders worked
comparatively on benefits not nee
essarily for Negroes or for white
citizens, but for the total commun-
ity. Mr.. Jones estimated that with
the League help more than 1,00o.-
900 Negro workers were placed in
commerce and industry. The
League quite early began to push
for free public employment SER
vice because Of racket" aspects
among some private employment
agencies.
Looking back over forty years
Mr.. Jones stated: Il truly believe
II is economically and socially bet
ter to treat people fairly. and it's
possible 10 convince others Of
that"
Lester 3. Granger. executive
director Of the National Urban
League said. Eugene Kinckie
Jones was one Of the truly great
figures In the field Of race rela-
tons during the twentieth GEN.
fury. More than any other person.
he defined and dignified the place
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