David R. Jones (journalist)

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David R. Jones
Born1931 or 1932 (age 91–92)
Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Education
Alma mater
OccupationJournalist
Years active1957–1997
Employers
AwardsGerald Loeb Award for Newspapers
1961
1963

David Rhodes Jones Jr.[1][2] (born 1931 or 1932) is an American journalist. He reported for and edited The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He received two Gerald Loeb Awards for excellence in business and financial journalism.

Early life[edit]

Jones was born to Ruth Dillon and David R. Jones in Connellsville, Pennsylvania in 1931 or 1932.[3][4] His mother was a teacher, and his father a civil engineer.[5][6]

Education[edit]

Jones attended South Side School in Connellsville.[7] In the 3rd grade play, "Switzerland", he sang a duet with Ruth Schoenborn in the second act and narrated the fourth act.[7]

Jones was cited for having perfect attendance in the tenth grade at Connellsville Joint High School.[8] During high school, he edited the school newspaper, the Coker, served as class treasurer, and became a member of the National Honor Society.[9] He graduated On June 2, 1950, with several scholarships for university.[10]

Jones studied journalism at Pennsylvania State University.[2] He reported for the school newspaper, the Daily Collegian, and spent his summers reporting for his hometown newspaper, The Daily Courier.[11][12] He was named editor of the Collegian his senior year.[11] He was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Sigma Delta Chi professional journalism fraternity.[2] In 1953, he received a citation for being an outstanding student in the Journalism school.[13] Jones participated in the Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) program, including training at Moody Air Force Base in the summer of 1953.[14] He graduated with his B.A. in Journalism in 1954, then started work on a Master's degree before entering the Air Force in 1955.[2][15][12]

While working for The Wall Street Journal, Jones continued his studies at New York University, receiving his M.A. in American History in 1961.[4][15]

Military service[edit]

Jones began his Air Force service as a second lieutenant (his rank acquired through the AFROTC program) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on February 14, 1955.[12] He served in the public information branch of the Office of Information Services at the base.[2]

Career[edit]

The Wall Street Journal hired Jones after he left the Air Force in 1957.[15] He started in the New York City office, then, in 1961, moved to manage the Pittsburgh bureau.[15] He left the paper in 1963.[16] During his tenure, he received two Gerald Loeb Awards for Newspapers for his work published in the Journal – the first as part of a team in 1961, the second by himself in 1963.[15][17]

Jones took a month long vacation in Europe before starting at The New York Times Detroit bureau covering Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.[16][4] He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1965 to report on labor issues before being promoted to assistant editor of the bureau in 1968.[4][18] He moved back to New York City the following year when he was promoted to assistant national editor.[19] In 1972, he replaced Eugene L. Roberts Jr. as the paper's national editor.[4]

Jones was named the editor of national editions in 1987.[19] The role involved reconfiguring and developing the eight regional editions of the Times.[19]

Jone's final promotion was to assistant managing editor in 1989.[20][21] He retired c. 1997.[22]

Personal life[edit]

Jones met Mary Lee Lauffer while they were both reporters for the Daily Collegian.[2] They married on October 8, 1955, while Jones was serving in the Air Force.[2] Mary received her B.A. in Journalism earlier that year and was employed as a reporter for the woman's page of the Dayton Journal Herald.[2]

The couple's daughter, Elizabeth, is a founding director of Page 73 Productions, which focuses on developing and producing plays by early-career playwrights in New York City.[21][23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Birthday Party Given For David Jones, Jr". The Daily Courier. Vol. 37, no. 259 (Last ed.). September 14, 1939. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "October Bride of Former Local". The Daily Courier. Vol. 53, no. 279 (Last ed.). October 10, 1955. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "David R. Jones". Obituaries. The Daily Courier. Vol. 73, no. 289. October 17, 1974. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Times Names Jones National Editor". The New York Times. Vol. CXXI, no. 41873 (Late City ed.). September 15, 1972. p. 18.
  5. ^ "Mrs. Ruth D. Jones". Obituaries. The Daily Courier. Vol. 74, no. 91. February 25, 1976. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "David R. Jones With West Penn 20 Years". The Daily Courier. Vol. 44, no. 134. April 19, 1946. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "South Side Pupils Give Play". The Daily Courier. Vol. 39, no. 112 (Last ed.). March 25, 1941. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "89 Coker Students Maintain Perfect Attendance Marks". The Daily Courier. Vol. 46, no. 191 (Last ed.). June 24, 1948. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Joint School News". The Daily Courier. Vol. 56, no. 86 (Last ed.). February 21, 1958. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Prizes Awarded Many Students At Graduation". The Daily Courier. Vol. 48, no. 172 (Last ed.). June 3, 1950. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b "David R. Jones Named Editor of State Paper". The Daily Courier. Vol. 51, no. 122 (Last ed.). April 4, 1953. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c "David Jones Enters Air Force on Monday". The Daily Courier. Vol. 53, no. 77 (Last ed.). February 12, 1955. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Dave Jones Cited as Outstanding Journalist". The Daily Courier. Vol. 52, no. 151 (Last ed.). May 8, 1954. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "David Jones Trains in Georgia". The Daily Courier. Vol. 51, no. 198 (Last ed.). July 3, 1953. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b c d e "David R. Jones Wins Journalism Award". The Daily Courier. Vol. 61, no. 159 (Last ed.). May 17, 1963. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b "New York Times Correspondent". The Daily Courier. Vol. 61, no. 233 (Last ed.). August 14, 1963. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Historical Winners List". UCLA Anderson School of Management. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  18. ^ "David R. Jones Gets Promotion". The Daily Courier. Vol. 66, no. 110. March 20, 1968. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b c "Times Editors Named To Senior News Posts". The New York Times. Vol. CXXXVI, no. 47021 (Late ed.). January 16, 1987. p. C27.
  20. ^ "The Times Name Lelyveld Managing Editor". The New York Times. Vol. CXXXVIII, no. 47925 (Late ed.). July 8, 1989. p. 13.
  21. ^ a b "Elizabeth Jones, David Kausch". The New York Times. August 23, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  22. ^ "Read All About It! Prominent, Local Newsmen to Host at Great Conversations on April 27!". Morris Arts. March 23, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  23. ^ Dreyfus, Bob. "Page 73's First 20 Years". Page 73. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
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