House Resolution 15

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LEGACY OF MR. ERNEST HENRY JONES, JR., UPON THE SPECIAL OCCASION OF THE 74TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF JONES SHOE SHOP.

WHEREAS, the late Mr. Ernest Henry Jones, Jr., former owner of Jones Shoe Shop, located in Starkville, Mississippi, is being honored for his outstanding contributions to the community upon the special occasion of the 74th year anniversary of Jones Shoe Shop; and

WHEREAS, a family man, Mr. Jones married Sarah Lee Jeffries in 1934, and to this blessed union the following seven children were born: Sydney, Barbara, Eddie, Wesley, Melvin, Jerry and Cecil; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Jones, a graduate of Alcorn A&M High School, began his entrepreneurial journey, when he acquired Jones Shoe Shop, from his brother, Leo Jones, in 1943, an acquisition which served the primary purpose of wanting to make a better life for himself and his tight-knit and loving family; and

WHEREAS, Jones Shoe Shop was located in the successful African-American section of Starkville's Needmore section of town which was a thriving, rich and diverse African-American community as well as the apex of African-American culture; and

WHEREAS, after acquiring Jones Shoe Shop, Mr. Jones later relocated the business to the corner of Lafayette and Lampkin Streets in the downtown area of Starkville where there were other prominent African-American businesses present such as Ferdinand Barry and Jesse Vaughn's cafe, but as of 2013, Jones Shoe Shop is the lone African-American business located on Lafayette Street, which speaks volumes of the professionalism, stellar reputation and quality of the shop; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Jones, wanting to be an owner instead of a renter of the building which housed Jones Shoe Shop, early on secured funding from a local bank due in large part to the financial success and reputation of his father, Ernest H. Jones, Sr., which truly exhibits the legacy of financial successes that is succinct with the Jones family name; and

WHEREAS, at a time where many businesses offered customers segregated seating, Jones Shoe Shop had open seating on a first-come, first-serve basis, which demonstrated his forward thinking and principles as well as concern for all people; and

WHEREAS, in addition to repairing shoes, Mr. Jones was a diversified and multi-talented individual, who acquired valuable skills including, handcrafting gun holsters for the city policemen, designing and crafting unique men's wallets, women's handbags as well as western styled belts; and

WHEREAS, Jones Shoe Shop was also vital to the athletic department of Mississippi State University which had some of their football equipment repaired by Mr. Jones, who had an unquestionable specialty of fulfilling the needs of his customers in a superb manner; and

WHEREAS, in addition to crafting unique items and repairing equipment, Mr. Jones, who was naturally blessed with a keen sense of business, sold mail order tailor made suits for men and taught himself to repair orthopedic shoes; and

WHEREAS, although Mr. Jones was successful in his business, he also supported other African-American businesses by carrying out actions such as only fueling his vehicles with fuel from an African-American owned gas station which was located on the corner of Highway 82 and North Washington Streets and by having car repairs performed by local African-American mechanics; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Jones, who had a true passion for his craft, shared his passion with his sons, all of whom, except one, worked under his apprenticeship in the shop; and

WHEREAS, after successfully operating Jones Shoe Shop for over 38 years, Mr. Jones retired in 1977, and his son, Wesley, became the sole proprietor in 1988, and this historical and iconic shop continues to flourish today; and

WHEREAS, although Mr. Jones no longer worked at Jones Shoe Shop, he took up other business ventures such as opening West Main Arms Senior Citizens Complex, Ernest Jones' Apartments and Rest Haven, Inc., all of which fulfilled a need in the community; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Jones was also active in the community as a member of the local chamber of commerce which he served on the board of directors, and he was a lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a board member of the Rest Haven Cemetery, Inc., which he provided some of the funding for the purchase of the cemetery; and

WHEREAS, as a Christian, Mr. Jones confessed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at a very young age and went on to be a dedicated member of Second Baptist Church, where he served as a dedicated deacon for over 61 years and served as church treasurer and chair of the deacon ministry; and

WHEREAS, as a father, businessman and community activist whose name and memory is still prominent today, the momentous contributions of Mr. Jones have been memorialized by having a section of Long Street renamed Ernest H. Jones, Jr., in his honor; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to pay tribute to great Mississippians such as Mr. Ernest H. Jones, Jr., whose contributions to the economy, civil rights movement, church as well as the business community will be remembered for generations to come:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the legacy of the late Ernest Henry Jones, Jr., upon the special occasion of the 74th year anniversary of Jones Shoe Shop.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of the late Ernest Henry Jones, Jr., and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.