Los Angeles County
Biographies
ELMER RAY JONES
JONES, ELMER RAY, General Superintendent, Wells, Fargo & Co., Express, Los Angeles, Cal., and Vice President of La Compania Mexicana de Express, S. A., of Mexico, was born in Granby, Missouri, February 26, 1874, the son of Thomas L. G. Jones and Sarah Jane (Bailey) Jones. He is of Scotch and Welsh ancestry on the paternal side and descended from prominent Kentuckians on the maternal side of the family.
Mr. Jones’ education was obtained in several different institutions, and, like his business career, was of his own making. He attended the public schools of Webb City, Missouri, in his youth and later became a special student at the University of Missouri. Following this he took a special course in English and oratory at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. Many years later, upon his removal to the Pacific Coast, he determined to add to his educational equipment and took up the study of law in the University of Southern California and was admitted to the bar of California, but never engaged in practice. In addition, he studied the Spanish language and became a fluent writer and speaker in this tongue, applying it with the same proficiency as he does English.
Beginning as a newspaper agent when he was a boy in school at Webb City, Mo., Mr. Jones has made his way to a place among the prominent young business men of the Southwest. During his boyhood he worked at various occupations and at the age of nineteen years was appointed agent at Webb City for Wells, Fargo & Company. This was the beginning of his career in the express business, in which, after approximately twenty years of continuous service, he has advanced to the position of prominence and great responsibility. He retained his position at Webb City for about two years and at the end of that period was promoted to the agency of the Wells, Fargo & Company at Pittsburg, Kansas, a more important point.
Three years afterwards, in 1898, he was advanced to the position of Route Agent for Wells, Fargo & Company, his first official position with the company. He made his headquarters at Joplin, Missouri, for eight years and then transferred his offices to Hutchinson, Kansas, from which point he directed the company’s business over a large part of the Middle West.
In 1907, Mr. Jones was appointed Assistant General Agent for the company at Los Angeles, California, and held that post for about two years. Then, his work having been unusually successful, he was sent to Mexico as Assistant General Manager of the company’s interests in that country, with headquarters at Mexico City. From this point forward his advancement was rapid. In January, 1910, a few months after leaving Los Angeles, he was elected President and General Manager of La Compania Mexicana de Express, S. A., as Wells, Fargo & Company is known in Mexico. In this capacity Mr. Jones had entire charge of the company’s vast system in that country for more than a year.
At this time, Wells, Fargo & Company inaugurated a policy of placing its most efficient men, as general superintendents, in charge of its various geographical departments, and Mr. Jones, whose administration in Mexico had been attended with great success, was recalled to Los Angeles to take office as General Superintendent of the Southwestern Department. This territory includes Southern California, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and the West Coast of old Mexico. In addition to the duties of this position, he has been held in an official position with La Compania Mexicana de Express, S. A., holding since he left Mexico, the office of Vice President. Because of his thorough knowledge of the Spanish language and of business conditions in the republic to the south, he has an important part in the affairs of the company.
Despite the responsibilities of his position with the express company, Mr. Jones takes an ardent interest in public affairs of Los Angeles, and during his first residence in that city distinguished himself as a worker for the Young Men’s Christian Association there. He was one of the organizers of a memorable campaign having for its object the increase of the Association’s membership to five thousand. He aided in the formation of the “Five Thousand Club,” and as its President directed the early part of the work but was compelled to leave Los Angeles for Mexico City before the conclusion of the campaign. The work he had begun proved a brilliant success and to him was given a great deal of the credit for placing the Young Men’s Christian Association of Los Angeles among the strongest branches of the organization. The Los Angeles “Express,” commenting on this, said:
“Few men did more to boost the membership and intrench the Association solidly in Los Angeles. He organized and was made President of the ‘5000 Club,’ which had as its chief aim the raising of the membership to 5000. Mr. Jones was forced to leave Los Angeles before this was achieved, but the work of the club resulted in the achievement in a whirlwind campaign and Mr. Jones was given much credit.”
Upon his return to Los Angeles he again became active in the Y. M. C. A. In the Masonic fraternity he is a Knight Templar and a Shriner.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 543,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2010 Joyce
Rugeroni.
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