Rufus E. Jones

Rufus E. Jones (August 21, 1940 – October 20, 2019)[1] was an American politician and businessman.

Rufus E. Jones
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 86th district
In office
1981–1996
Preceded byEmmitt Ford
Succeeded byBarbara Cooper
Personal details
Born(1940-08-21)August 21, 1940
Memphis, Tennessee
DiedOctober 20, 2019(2019-10-20) (aged 79)
Memphis, Tennessee
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Marvis Kneeland-Jones
Alma materMichigan State University
ProfessionGrocer

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.[4] He was succeeded by Barbara Cooper.[5] Jones was the Tennessean delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1996.[6]

Personal

He was 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.[7]

References
  1. "Longtime legislator Rufus E. Jones dies at age 79". The Daily Memphian.
  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. "RUFUS E. JONES". Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  5. "BARBARA W. COOPER". Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  6. "Jones, Rufus, Jr". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  7. "Marvis Kneeland-Jones". The History Makers. July 27, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
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