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A long family history of academic excellence at Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø

Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Johnathan “Jos” Jones
Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Johnathan “Jos” Jones

Old Rhodian Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Johnathan ¡°Jos¡± Jones, who recently turned 79, shared the story of his family legacy at Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø, starting with his parents, who met at the Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø in the 1930s.

Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Jones drew a lot of inspiration from his father, Professor Bobby Jones, who was a Lecturer and Associate Professor at Rhodes for many years. ¡°My father inspired many students to join law, become lawyers and to stay with law. He was magnificent in his teaching.¡±

Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Jones¡¯ lifelong relationship with Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø began as a student. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1961 and a Bachelor of Laws (cum laude) in 1963. Professors Kerr and McKerron were both active Law Professors at Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø at this time, Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Jones recalled.

¡°I enjoyed my first year and, in fact, all of my other years at Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø,¡± he said.

In later years, when Professor McKerron started falling ill, Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Jones took over some of his law lectures for him. ¡°I also really enjoyed that part of my career,¡± he said.

Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Jones started a career as an advocate at the Grahamstown Bar in 1964. He served on the High Court bench from 1986 until his retirement in 2010, playing an increasingly influential role as a judge in the Eastern Cape over the years and particularly since the advent of democracy.

Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø was honoured to have him on as Chair of Council and a member of Rhodes Board of Governors for 20 long years (1994 to 2014).

His dedication to the Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø and his distinguished career in the South African legal system earned him a Distinguished Old Rhodian Award in 2014.

Other family members have also walked the Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø path. Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Jones¡¯ sisters Diana, Valerie, Rosalind and Mary, and his brothers Michael and Phillip also studied at the Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø. His eldest son, Sean, is another old Rhodian.

¡°And my son, Cliff, has been a stalwart at Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø ¨C he has been there longer than I have,¡± he said. Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Jones¡¯ son, Professor Cliff Jones, is the proposed new incoming Head of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø. Of his son¡¯s achievements, Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø Jones said, ¡°He is a very good academic and I am proud of him.¡±

¡°Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø was a wonderful place to have lived and studied, and I have so much love for it, I found it difficult to move on from there. People that I worked with and sat with on Council were all wonderful people. I think Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø is a better place for the people who have been and are currently in its service,¡± he said.

In acknowledgement of this family¡¯s tremendous contribution to Rhodes Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø over the years, a plaque in front of the clock tower was placed in memory of the first generation of Jones¡¯ at the Å·ÖÞ±­×ãÇòÍø_ÍâΧÂòÇòappÍÆ¼ö-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø ¨C and includes the names of all their Old Rhodian descendants and their spouses up to 2009.