Marker honoring U.S. Jones to be unveiled June 11
Alumni of U.S. Jones, the first school for African-Americans in Demopolis, invite the community to attend the unveiling of a monument honoring Ulysses Simpson Jones.
The event will be held Saturday, June 11, at 11 a.m. in front of the school at 715 E. Jackson St. A reception will follow at the Jones Recreation Center, 306 First Ave.
Jones and other community leaders built the school in 1920. Originally called the Negro Public School, the name was changed to U.S. Jones High School in 1925. Lawrence Lee, a member of the USJ Class of 1970, the last class to graduate from the school, said Jones was a visionary who came from Tuscaloosa with the specific goal of building a school for people of color.
Born in Tuscaloosa, Jones was graduated from the 12th grade at Talladega College in 1890. He taught at Camp Hill and Tuscaloosa before teaching in Demopolis for a year. He returned to Tuscaloosa and taught, but moved to Demopolis permanently in 1896, teaching at what was called the Public School. He became the school’s principal in 1898 and remained in that post for several decades as the school changed names from the Academy to the Black Belt Normal Institute.
Along with L.D. Collins, Ed Davis and others, Jones purchased school property in 1920 for $800 from Mr. and Mrs. R.P. Knox and Mr. and Mrs. John C. Webb.
Jones became the Director of Negro Education of Montgomery County in 1926 but returned to Demopolis four years later because of ill health. He died April 19, 1930.
USJ now is an upper elementary school in the Demopolis City School District.
For more information about the U.S. Jones Alumni Association, contact Lawrence Lee at 615-202-1520 or go online to usjonesalumni.org.