Rufus E. Jones

Rufus E. Jones
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 86th district
In office
1981–1996
Preceded by Emmitt Ford
Succeeded by Barbara Cooper
Personal details
Born (1940-08-21) August 21, 1940
Memphis, Tennessee
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Marvis Kneeland-Jones
Residence Memphis, Tennessee
Alma mater Michigan State University
Profession Grocer
Religion Methodist[1]

Rufus E. Jones (born August 21, 1940) was an American politician and businessman.

Early life

Jones grew up in the Boxtown neighborhood of South Memphis where his father operated Jones Supermarket.[2] As a youngster, he went in the grocery business with his father. Jones and his father also operated another South Memphis grocery store, Jones Big Star.[2][3] He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and Michigan State University.

Political career

Jones succeeded his childhood friend Emmitt Ford in the Tennessee House of Representatives and served from 1981 to 1996. He was a Democrat.[1] He was succeeded by Barbara Cooper.[4] Jones was the Tennessean delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1996.[5]

Personal

He is married to Marvis Kneeland-Jones, a retired schoolteacher. She was a member of the Memphis State Eight, the first group of African-American students to attend the University of Memphis, five years after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of desegregation in Brown v. Board of Education.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "RUFUS E. JONES". Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Mitchell, Sybill C. (November 21, 2007). "Towne Center at Soulsville vision reflects a grocery store’s past". Tri-State Defender. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ Dries, Bill (August 2, 2010). "In Search of an Oasis". Memphis Daily News. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ "BARBARA W. COOPER". Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Jones, Rufus, Jr.". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Marvis Kneeland-Jones". The History Makers. July 27, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
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