Grinnell College loses historian, teacher, friend
Al Jones '50 dies at 79
Alan Robert Jones '50, 79, died at home on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007. He spent most of his adult life at Grinnell College -- first as a student, later as scholar and teacher, and always as historian, storyteller, and keen observer. The legacy of Alan Jones at Grinnell College will endure, both in his history of the College, Pioneering, and in the memories of those who were touched by him and his work.
Jones grew up in Tama, Iowa, and served 15 months in the United States Navy during World War II. He earned a B.A. in history (with honors) from Grinnell, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history from the University of Michigan. In 1951, he married another Grinnellian, Jean Lewis '51.
Jones joined the Grinnell faculty in 1954 as an instructor in history. In 1967, he became a full professor, and in 1979, he was named the L.F. Parker Professor of History. From 1987-88, he served as acting director of Rosenfield Program. Jones was also a member of a curriculum committee that recommended a new required course, the First-Year Tutorial, when all other course requirements were phased out.
Until he retired from active teaching at Grinnell in 1994, Jones taught a number of courses, including Diplomatic History of the United States, Constitutional History of the United States, American History Survey, Roman History, Medieval and Renaissance Culture, and Studies in Urban History, as well as courses in American studies, the humanities, and on nuclear weapons and arms control.
Jones always believed that a historian should emphasize individual choices and responsibilities. "You've got to hold individuals responsible because they make history," he told The Grinnell Magazine at the time of his retirement.
His research interests included a continuing quantitative study of the political culture in Iowa communities, Thomas M. Cooley, and Grinnell College. Even before his work on Pioneering, Jones had a strong interest in the history of the College. His lecture on Grinnell's history, given to incoming students for many years, was a traditional highlight of New Student Orientation.
"Grinnell has a distinct history that I emphasize in [Pioneering]," Jones told The Grinnell Magazine in 1995. "The College always had a certain independence of style, a commitment to free intellectual inquiry and to social responsibility. Men like Asa Turner, Jesse Macy, and John Main have helped make the College special, and I have always been happy to be part of the institution."
See Alan Jones '50 Remembered to read what students, faculty, and friends have shared, or share your own memories.
