Brother John A. Jones, Jr.

Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. is a retired Educator/Administrator from the Orleans Parish School System after more than thirty-eight (38) years of service as a Teacher, Assistant Principal, Supervisor of Instruction (Social Studies), Associate Director, and Governmental Liaison (Lobbyist). Johnny, as he is known to family, fraternity brothers, and friends, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated from the public schools there. He graduated from Walter L. Cohen Senior High School in 1958. He attained the Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1962 and was awarded a fellowship in 1972 to pursue the Master of Arts Degree in African American Studies. Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. received his Master’s degree in 1975. Almost immediately thereafter, he pursued further graduate work at Tulane University as a doctoral studies student in American History. In 1989, he was selected to participate in the Institute on Writing, Reading, and Civic Education at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bro. John A. Jones, Jr.. completed two (2) years of active military duty and six (6) years of reserve duty in the United States Army. On active duty, he served as a Field/Range Commander and as a Company Commander. He was honorably discharge from military duty as a First Lieutenant in 1968. After serving in the military and years as a teacher, he was appointed as the Supervisor of Social Studies. As Supervisor, he coordinated and assisted in the development of several special projects, including “Sugar Cane: A Bittersweet Legacy,” an interdisciplinary teaching/learning unit for all grades on the development of Sugar Cane in Louisiana and the role(s) that African Americans played in its development in Louisiana. In 1990, Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. secured a copyright for that unit. While completing the sugar cane project, he was appointed by the Orleans Parish School Board to serve as their liaison in the development and publication of the landmark study entitled ” Educating Black Male Youth : A Moral and Civic Imperative.” Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. secured a copyright for that study in 1988. This heralded publication was utilized as supporting documentation for testimony concerning the plight of Black Males in American Education before the United States Congress and various state and local agencies.

Early in 1980, Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. assisted in the preparation of a United States Department of Education (USDE) cooperative project between the New Orleans Public Schools and Southern University at New Orleans. The project/grant was prepared to secure the funding for thirteen (13 American educators to travel to West Africa to study the educational systems in selected West African nations. In 1981 notification was received that the grant was approved. In the same year, Johnny and twelve other selected educators traveled to three (3) West African Nations: Sierra Leone, Mali, and Senegal. The study extended over a period of six (6) weeks and upon completion of the study the results was forwarded to the USDE.

Another distinct period during Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. career as an Educator/Administrator is highlighted during the period 1990 – 2003, when as the Director of Adult and Continuing Education in the New Orleans Public Schools. He managed a staff of more than one hundred-fifty (150) professionals, et. al., and a budget of more than one million dollars. He was responsible for staff who oversaw the educational pursuits of thousands of adult learners who received the General Educational Development (GED) Diploma through the Orleans Parish School Board.

While serving as Director of Adult and Continuing Education, Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. was appointed by the Orleans Parish School Board as the Director of Governmental Relations(Lobbyist) in 1990 . He served as the lobbyist for the Board at the Louisiana Legislature, New Orleans City Council, and other government groups/meetings until 1997. He was successful in expressing the Board’s sentiments in the passage of several acts by the legislature and helping secure some shared revenue from the first land-based casino in Louisiana with the city council. The Board commended this action. Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. received numerous awards and citations from several professional, civic, and fraternal organizations. His leadership in the development of the eleventh grade Social Studies Course referenced as Civics/CloseUp was cited in the United States Congressional Record by Congresswomen Lindy Boggs in 1979 and 1982. He received a plaque from the American Bar Association for his leadership in developing and implementing the project “Lawyers In The Classroom.” In 2013, he was selected to receive the Elijah P, Lovejoy Award from the Benevolent, Protective, Order of the Elks of the World in recognition of his combined educational and community service in the New Orleans community. He reviewed several publications in Social Studies Education and adult education. Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. authored a biographical sketch of a famous African American for an eighth grade Louisiana Studies basal textbook published by Steck-Vaughn Publishing Company in 1992. He has reviewed Civics textbooks, two textbook series of American History, and two adult education study guides.

Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. has held continuous membership in several fraternal and social organizations, including: Pi Gamma Mu, National Social Science Honorary Society; Pi Delta Kappa, Professional Fraternity in Education; Who’s Who’s In America.

Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. has also maintained continuous member in his Church, the Second Baptist Church, Sixth District, at 4218 Laurel Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. He has served as the Church Historian for several years. He edited the Church’s history and published it entitled as “The History of the Second Baptist Church, Sixth District, 1870 – 2003. He secured a copyright for the publication in 2003. Subsequently, he produced a DVD entitled “Second Baptist Church, Sixth District Depository of Facts,” and was copy copyrighted in 2016.

Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. has served on various boards and commissions. A short list of them from 1983 – 2013 include: Organizing Director of First Eastern Bank and Trust of New Orleans; Member and President of New Orleans Home Mortgage Authority; Member and Chairman of the Human Relation0s Commission of the City of New Orleans; Advisory Board Member of the New Orleans East Economic Development Foundation; Member and Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of New Orleans Regional Business Park; Vice-Chairman of the Lawrence Crocker Arts and Technology Elementary School of New Orleans, Louisiana, and several others

Fraternity Activities / Accomplishments

Brother John A. Jones, Jr., was initiated into Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., in Beta Sigma Chapter at Southern University on November 15, 1961. Bro. John A. Jones, Jr. as of 2024 has maintained continuous membership in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated for sixty-three (63) years. During those years, as a member of Rho Phi Chapter, he has served in the elective office of Reporter; served on several committees including: The Amenities Committee, and the Health Committee (NOTE: He served as Chairman for the First Prostate Cancer Screening Project, which became an annual event for several years. The screening was so successful it won local publicity, and more importantly, he assisted in preparing an article about the screening that we shared with our Omega IHQ and it was published in the Oracle. Further, he has been a participant in several mandated Programs and chapter recognition events. He was the speaker for a past mandated Achievement Week program, and was the speaker for the 90th Anniversary of Rho Phi Chapter celebration