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GENERAL HISTORY OF MATTISON B. JONES

 

 

            Mattison Boyd Jones came to California, January 8, 1900, having earned his first successes in the legal profession in his native state of Kentucky. Mr. Jones has been one of the brilliant attorneys of the Los Angeles bar, and has used his training and experience to render that service to public and institutional and community advancement which only the well educated lawyer can give.

            Mr. Jones was born at Tuttle, in Laurel county, Kentucky, June 15, 1869, son of Hiram J. and Permelia W. (Black) Jones. The Jones and Black families are of old Southern stock, having lived in Kentucky more than one hundred years, and prior to that in North Carolina. The Jones family is of Welch and English ancestry, while the Blacks are Scotch-Irish. Permelia W. Black, mother of Mr. Jones, was a sister of James D. Black, who served successively as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Kentucky. The two families on coming to America lived for a time in North Carolina, then moved to Kentucky to become pioneers in Knox county.

            Mattison Boyd Jones was educated in the public schools of Laurel county, taught in country districts two years, attended the University of Kentucky, at Lexington, and was graduated with honors and the A. B. degree in 1894, his graduation speech being delivered in Latin. In June, 1932, his alma mater, University of Kentucky, conferred upon him the degree of LL. D.

            During 1894-95 he was principal of the Laurel county Seminary at London, Kentucky. He was admitted to the Bar at London, October 17, 1895. After a few months of practice he resumed teaching and for two years was professor of mathematics and astronomy in the Williamsburg Institute, now known as Cumberland College, at Williamsburg, Kentucky. Mr. Jones in 1898 was recalled to his alma mater at Lexington as professor of military science and instructor in mathematics, remaining a member of the faculty and at the same time continuing post graduate work until he resigned December 31, 1899.

            Almost immediately after his resignation, Mr. Jones started for California and made his home at Los Angeles until 1911, and since that year at Glendale. For a quarter of a century he has been a practicing attorney at Los Angeles. He formed a partnership in 1905 with E. B. Drake, and the firm of Jones & Drake continued until 1909. Subsequently he was with W. E. Evans in the firm of Jones & Evans until 1917; then practiced alone for a few years; and in 1920 formed a partnership with Leonard Wilson and Dwight W. Stephenson under the firm name of Jones, Wilson & Stephenson with offices in the Citizens National Bank building, Los Angeles. The firm dissolved in September, 1932, and Mr. Jones is now practicing alone at the latter address. Mr. Jones almost from the time he came to Los Angeles has been recognized as a man of outstanding ability in his profession.

            He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, California Bar Association, and American Bar Association, and has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and other Federal Courts. Beginning in 1904 and continuing for some years he held the Chair of Private Corporations and later was lecturer of Ethics and Advocacy in the College of Law of the University of Southern California.

            On graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1894 he was ranking officer of the battalion of cadets. At that time Lieutenant Charles D. Clay, a grandson of the noted Henry Clay and a regular army officer, was professor of military science in the University of Kentucky. Lieutenant Clay presented Mr. Jones with a dress sword just before his graduation in recognition of his hundred per cent military record. Frequently when Lieutenant Clay was absent in Washington on official business he left Mr. Jones in full charge of the university cadets. In 1898 when the commandant was recalled to his regiment for service in the Spanish-American war, the president of the University of Kentucky asked Mr. Jones to succeed him, this being the first time that a commandant of the university was called from civilian rank.

            In addition to work done at his alma mater, Mr. Jones did post graduate study at the University of Chicago. He has been president of the Board of Trustees of the University of Redlands, Redlands, California, since the university was founded in 1909. This institution has achieved a most remarkable financial and educational standing.

            He possesses the eloquence of a true son of Kentucky, and his talents as a speaker and orator have been much in demand.

            Mr. Jones has been one of the prominent Baptist laymen of California. He was one of the organizers of the Temple Baptist Church of Los Angeles in 1903. For two years he was president of the Southern California Baptist Convention, for three years president of the Pacific Coast Baptist Conference, comprising all the states west of the Rocky Mountains, and is past president of the Los Angeles County Baptist Association and the Los Angeles Baptist City Mission Society. He was elected in June 1930, First vice president of the Northern Baptist Convention of the United States, and in June,  1931, he was elected President of the Northern Baptist Convention of the United States. In this capacity he was invited to, and did, speak in ten states as the guest of the Southern Baptist Convention.  He retired as such officer in July, 1932, when the Annual Convention was held in San Francisco.

            Likewise many honors have come to Mr. Jones in his association with the various branches of Masonry. He is both a York and Scottish Rite Mason. He was the first Master and is now Senior Past Master of Meridian Lodge No. 667 F. & A. M. of Glendale, California; is Past High Priest of Unity Chapter No. 116 Royal Arch Masons at Glendale, California; is Past Illustrious Master of Los Angeles Council No. 11, R. & S. M. at Los Angeles; is Past Commander of Glendale Commandery No. 53, Knights Templar, at Glendale; is Past Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons of the State of California;

is Past Grand Master of the Royal and Select Masons of California; and is now Deputy General Grand High Priest of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the United States of America. While abroad with his family during the summer of 1924, Mr. Jones received signal recognition in Italy where he was made honorary member of the National Council of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Masons of Italy. He was invested in 1928 with the DeMolay Cross of Honor in the Order of DeMolay.

            In politics always a Democrat, Mr. Jones was an alternate delegate at large from California to the Democratic National Convention at Denver in 1908. In 1902 he was nominated by his party for City Attorney of Los Angeles, and in 1914 was strongly urged for the United States District Judge for Southern California. Mr. Jones was a candidate in the Democratic primaries for the nomination for Governor of California in 1922. He was named Democratic Elector from California in 1924 and in 1932 elected as such.

            He has many social, civic and business connections, being a member of the University Club of Los Angeles, also a member of the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission and a member of the Los Angels County Emergency Relief Committee, which committee was assigned to certain duties for awhile in the Civil Works Administration for Los Angeles county.

            Throughout the World war period, Mr. Jones was secretary of the Exemption Board of the Seventh District of Los Angeles County. This was a service demanding a great deal of time from his profession and he gave it gladly from a sense of patriotic devotion.    

            In January, 1933, he was commissioned by Governor Ruby Laffoon, of Kentucky, as a member of his staff, with the rank of Colonel.

            He has very recently been chosen as a member of the American Advisory Council of the Board of Trustees of Yenching University, China.

            Mr. Jones married at Louisville, Kentucky, January 3, 1900, Miss Antoinette Ewell Smith, who is one of Southern California’s distinguished women. Mrs. Jones is a graduate in music from John B. Stetson University, Deland, Florida, and is an accomplished musician; is a member of the Women’s Athletic Club, of Los Angeles; president of the Glendale Music Association for the past ten years; and past president of Los Angeles District Federation of Women’s Clubs.

            Mr. and Mrs. Jones have one daughter, Lillian Winnifred, wife of Harold Boyd Hershman, of Pasadena, California, a grandson, Oliver Sylvester Hershman II, and a granddaughter, Ewell Black Hershman.

            Residence, 727 Kenneth road, Glendale, California. Office, Citizens National Bank building, Los Angeles, California.

 

 

 

Transcribed By:  Cecelia M. Setty.

Source: California of the South Vol. V,  by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 70-74, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles,  Indianapolis.  1933.


© 2012 Cecelia M. Setty.

 

 

 

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