Civil rights and world war veteran
On Saturday, April 23, 2022, Johnnie Anderson Jones Sr., at the incredible age of 102, passed away at the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson, La.
Johnnie was born on November 30, 1919, in Laurel Hill, La., to Henry Edward Jones and Sarah Ann Coates Jones. Johnnie, his three brothers, and four sisters were raised on the Rosemound Plantation.
After graduating with honors from high school, he enrolled at Southern University. He entered the Army upon completion of his third semester in 1942 during World War II. He was the first Black Army soldier to test for the new position of Warrant Officer. After the war, he returned to Southern and changed his major to psychology and joined the debate team. While there, he reconnected with a former high school and university classmate from Baton Rouge, Sebell Elizabeth Chase.
On June 11, 1953, after graduating from Southern Law School, he was admitted to practice law in the State of Louisiana, and five days later the Urban Defense League hired Johnnie as its lawyer for the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, organized by the late Rev. T.J. Jemison, President of the Urban Defense League and Pastor of Mount Zion First Baptist Church.
In his 57-year legal career, Johnnie became the first Black member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association; faced arrest and disbarment in his efforts to reclaim a Black-financed elementary school on behalf of Black students; applied workers' compensation law to teachers and medical personnel; initiated the desegregation of Louisiana courtrooms; represented the Southern University students in their sit-ins, resulting in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case overturning their convictions under the 14th Amendment; worked to remove racial identification from election ballots; fought to integrate the Baton Rouge schools, parks, and pools; and, through litigation, desegregated amusement parks under a first-time use of the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause, among many others cases filed in state and federal courts.
Besides the practice of law, Johnnie ran for the office of District Attorney in 1960, helped the Johnson Administration draft the 1964 Anti-Poverty Act, was elected to the House of the Louisiana State Legislature in 1972, and was asked to head the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice by Attorney General Robert Kennedy a short time before his assassination.
Over his lifetime, he received numerous awards, certificates, plaques, and medals and has been recognized on local, state, national, and international levels. Most notably, he received a Purple Heart, three U.S. battle stars and the French Legion d'honneur order of merit.
Johnnie is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Sarah, his seven siblings, his children Johnnie Jr., Adair, Adal, and Ann, and his former wife, Sebell.
He is survived by his daughter-in-law Mary Louise Spand Jones. He also leaves to cherish his memory his grandchildren, Adal D. Jones Jr. (Amber), Stefanie D. Jones Doyle (Damian), Kyle S. Jones (Thaisa), Tanya Jones Orr (Christopher), Paula Jones Gingles (Collie), Adrienne Jones Mehn (Josephus), Lauren Jones; seven great-grandchildren; special nephew, George E. Jones, Jr.; special nieces, Diane Netters and Beverly Parker; trusted companion and attorney, Marcia Green; devoted cousins, John Jones, Jr. and Patricia Gail Woods; goddaughter and longtime family friend, Mada McDonald; and many other loving family members, friends, and mentees.
In lieu of floral arrangements, the family has requested donations be made to the Southern University Law Center. Please write Johnnie Jones, Sr. on the memo line and mail to: SULC, Attn: Robbin Thomas, P.O. Box 9294, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. Services are entrusted to Desselle Funeral Home.∼WWII
On Saturday, April 23, 2022, Johnnie Anderson Jones Sr., at the incredible age of 102, passed away at the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson, La.
Johnnie was born on November 30, 1919, in Laurel Hill, La., to Henry Edward Jones and Sarah Ann Coates Jones. Johnnie, his three brothers, and four sisters were raised on the Rosemound Plantation.
After graduating with honors from high school, he enrolled at Southern University. He entered the Army upon completion of his third semester in 1942 during World War II. He was the first Black Army soldier to test for the new position of Warrant Officer. After the war, he returned to Southern and changed his major to psychology and joined the debate team. While there, he reconnected with a former high school and university classmate from Baton Rouge, Sebell Elizabeth Chase.
On June 11, 1953, after graduating from Southern Law School, he was admitted to practice law in the State of Louisiana, and five days later the Urban Defense League hired Johnnie as its lawyer for the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, organized by the late Rev. T.J. Jemison, President of the Urban Defense League and Pastor of Mount Zion First Baptist Church.
In his 57-year legal career, Johnnie became the first Black member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association; faced arrest and disbarment in his efforts to reclaim a Black-financed elementary school on behalf of Black students; applied workers' compensation law to teachers and medical personnel; initiated the desegregation of Louisiana courtrooms; represented the Southern University students in their sit-ins, resulting in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case overturning their convictions under the 14th Amendment; worked to remove racial identification from election ballots; fought to integrate the Baton Rouge schools, parks, and pools; and, through litigation, desegregated amusement parks under a first-time use of the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause, among many others cases filed in state and federal courts.
Besides the practice of law, Johnnie ran for the office of District Attorney in 1960, helped the Johnson Administration draft the 1964 Anti-Poverty Act, was elected to the House of the Louisiana State Legislature in 1972, and was asked to head the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice by Attorney General Robert Kennedy a short time before his assassination.
Over his lifetime, he received numerous awards, certificates, plaques, and medals and has been recognized on local, state, national, and international levels. Most notably, he received a Purple Heart, three U.S. battle stars and the French Legion d'honneur order of merit.
Johnnie is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Sarah, his seven siblings, his children Johnnie Jr., Adair, Adal, and Ann, and his former wife, Sebell.
He is survived by his daughter-in-law Mary Louise Spand Jones. He also leaves to cherish his memory his grandchildren, Adal D. Jones Jr. (Amber), Stefanie D. Jones Doyle (Damian), Kyle S. Jones (Thaisa), Tanya Jones Orr (Christopher), Paula Jones Gingles (Collie), Adrienne Jones Mehn (Josephus), Lauren Jones; seven great-grandchildren; special nephew, George E. Jones, Jr.; special nieces, Diane Netters and Beverly Parker; trusted companion and attorney, Marcia Green; devoted cousins, John Jones, Jr. and Patricia Gail Woods; goddaughter and longtime family friend, Mada McDonald; and many other loving family members, friends, and mentees.
In lieu of floral arrangements, the family has requested donations be made to the Southern University Law Center. Please write Johnnie Jones, Sr. on the memo line and mail to: SULC, Attn: Robbin Thomas, P.O. Box 9294, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. Services are entrusted to Desselle Funeral Home.∼WWII
Civil rights and world war veteran
On Saturday, April 23, 2022, Johnnie Anderson Jones Sr., at the incredible age of 102, passed away at the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson, La.
Johnnie was born on November 30, 1919, in Laurel Hill, La., to Henry Edward Jones and Sarah Ann Coates Jones. Johnnie, his three brothers, and four sisters were raised on the Rosemound Plantation.
After graduating with honors from high school, he enrolled at Southern University. He entered the Army upon completion of his third semester in 1942 during World War II. He was the first Black Army soldier to test for the new position of Warrant Officer. After the war, he returned to Southern and changed his major to psychology and joined the debate team. While there, he reconnected with a former high school and university classmate from Baton Rouge, Sebell Elizabeth Chase.
On June 11, 1953, after graduating from Southern Law School, he was admitted to practice law in the State of Louisiana, and five days later the Urban Defense League hired Johnnie as its lawyer for the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, organized by the late Rev. T.J. Jemison, President of the Urban Defense League and Pastor of Mount Zion First Baptist Church.
In his 57-year legal career, Johnnie became the first Black member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association; faced arrest and disbarment in his efforts to reclaim a Black-financed elementary school on behalf of Black students; applied workers' compensation law to teachers and medical personnel; initiated the desegregation of Louisiana courtrooms; represented the Southern University students in their sit-ins, resulting in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case overturning their convictions under the 14th Amendment; worked to remove racial identification from election ballots; fought to integrate the Baton Rouge schools, parks, and pools; and, through litigation, desegregated amusement parks under a first-time use of the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause, among many others cases filed in state and federal courts.
Besides the practice of law, Johnnie ran for the office of District Attorney in 1960, helped the Johnson Administration draft the 1964 Anti-Poverty Act, was elected to the House of the Louisiana State Legislature in 1972, and was asked to head the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice by Attorney General Robert Kennedy a short time before his assassination.
Over his lifetime, he received numerous awards, certificates, plaques, and medals and has been recognized on local, state, national, and international levels. Most notably, he received a Purple Heart, three U.S. battle stars and the French Legion d'honneur order of merit.
Johnnie is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Sarah, his seven siblings, his children Johnnie Jr., Adair, Adal, and Ann, and his former wife, Sebell.
He is survived by his daughter-in-law Mary Louise Spand Jones. He also leaves to cherish his memory his grandchildren, Adal D. Jones Jr. (Amber), Stefanie D. Jones Doyle (Damian), Kyle S. Jones (Thaisa), Tanya Jones Orr (Christopher), Paula Jones Gingles (Collie), Adrienne Jones Mehn (Josephus), Lauren Jones; seven great-grandchildren; special nephew, George E. Jones, Jr.; special nieces, Diane Netters and Beverly Parker; trusted companion and attorney, Marcia Green; devoted cousins, John Jones, Jr. and Patricia Gail Woods; goddaughter and longtime family friend, Mada McDonald; and many other loving family members, friends, and mentees.
In lieu of floral arrangements, the family has requested donations be made to the Southern University Law Center. Please write Johnnie Jones, Sr. on the memo line and mail to: SULC, Attn: Robbin Thomas, P.O. Box 9294, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. Services are entrusted to Desselle Funeral Home.∼WWII
On Saturday, April 23, 2022, Johnnie Anderson Jones Sr., at the incredible age of 102, passed away at the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson, La.
Johnnie was born on November 30, 1919, in Laurel Hill, La., to Henry Edward Jones and Sarah Ann Coates Jones. Johnnie, his three brothers, and four sisters were raised on the Rosemound Plantation.
After graduating with honors from high school, he enrolled at Southern University. He entered the Army upon completion of his third semester in 1942 during World War II. He was the first Black Army soldier to test for the new position of Warrant Officer. After the war, he returned to Southern and changed his major to psychology and joined the debate team. While there, he reconnected with a former high school and university classmate from Baton Rouge, Sebell Elizabeth Chase.
On June 11, 1953, after graduating from Southern Law School, he was admitted to practice law in the State of Louisiana, and five days later the Urban Defense League hired Johnnie as its lawyer for the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, organized by the late Rev. T.J. Jemison, President of the Urban Defense League and Pastor of Mount Zion First Baptist Church.
In his 57-year legal career, Johnnie became the first Black member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association; faced arrest and disbarment in his efforts to reclaim a Black-financed elementary school on behalf of Black students; applied workers' compensation law to teachers and medical personnel; initiated the desegregation of Louisiana courtrooms; represented the Southern University students in their sit-ins, resulting in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case overturning their convictions under the 14th Amendment; worked to remove racial identification from election ballots; fought to integrate the Baton Rouge schools, parks, and pools; and, through litigation, desegregated amusement parks under a first-time use of the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause, among many others cases filed in state and federal courts.
Besides the practice of law, Johnnie ran for the office of District Attorney in 1960, helped the Johnson Administration draft the 1964 Anti-Poverty Act, was elected to the House of the Louisiana State Legislature in 1972, and was asked to head the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice by Attorney General Robert Kennedy a short time before his assassination.
Over his lifetime, he received numerous awards, certificates, plaques, and medals and has been recognized on local, state, national, and international levels. Most notably, he received a Purple Heart, three U.S. battle stars and the French Legion d'honneur order of merit.
Johnnie is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Sarah, his seven siblings, his children Johnnie Jr., Adair, Adal, and Ann, and his former wife, Sebell.
He is survived by his daughter-in-law Mary Louise Spand Jones. He also leaves to cherish his memory his grandchildren, Adal D. Jones Jr. (Amber), Stefanie D. Jones Doyle (Damian), Kyle S. Jones (Thaisa), Tanya Jones Orr (Christopher), Paula Jones Gingles (Collie), Adrienne Jones Mehn (Josephus), Lauren Jones; seven great-grandchildren; special nephew, George E. Jones, Jr.; special nieces, Diane Netters and Beverly Parker; trusted companion and attorney, Marcia Green; devoted cousins, John Jones, Jr. and Patricia Gail Woods; goddaughter and longtime family friend, Mada McDonald; and many other loving family members, friends, and mentees.
In lieu of floral arrangements, the family has requested donations be made to the Southern University Law Center. Please write Johnnie Jones, Sr. on the memo line and mail to: SULC, Attn: Robbin Thomas, P.O. Box 9294, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. Services are entrusted to Desselle Funeral Home.∼WWII
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