Theodore Adam Jones was born on November 14, 1912, in Pueblo, Colorado, to Nellie Gant Jones and Adam Daniel Jones. Shortly after his birth, his father passed away, and he and his mother settled in Chicago, where he grew up on South Rhodes Avenue. Jones attended Douglas Elementary School, Doolittle Elementary School, and later, Wendell Phillips Junior and Senior High Schools. He graduated at the top of his class in 1929, earning the highest honors. Demonstrating academic excellence and determination even in the face of racial discrimination, he secured a general assembly tuition scholarship to the University of Illinois at Urbana, where he majored in accounting and economics.

While at university, Jones experienced—and skillfully overcame—racism, using courage and strategic thinking to excel in the classroom. He supported himself by working as a waiter at a fraternity house, being among the few students of color at the institution.

Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1933 during the Great Depression, Jones struggled to find employment. He eventually obtained work as a clerk in an A&P store and later as a social worker with the Cook County Department of Public Welfare. When the agency shuttered, he built up a private accounting practice by soliciting local businesses, and after it reopened, he chose to continue serving his new clients rather than return.

Jones pursued further education, taking CPA review courses at Northwestern University and, in 1937, became only the third Black man to become a certified public accountant in Illinois. That same year, at Chicago’s Savoy Ballroom, he met Beatrice Mae Howard; the couple married in 1938 and shared a loving, sixty-three-year marriage, raising two daughters.

His career and public service were distinguished and varied. During World War II, Jones served as executive budget director of the U.S. Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) in Washington, DC. After the war, he returned to Chicago, continued his accounting practice, and held prominent roles such as executive vice president of Supreme Life Insurance Company of America and general manager of WGRT Radio.

In the 1960s, Jones’ advocacy expanded nationally: appointed to President Kennedy’s Committee on Equal Opportunity in Housing, he and Beatrice were invited to a White House dinner. President Lyndon Johnson later appointed him Midwest Great Lakes regional director of the Federal Anti-Poverty Program.

Jones’ contributions to civic and civil rights were considerable. He served as president of the Chicago NAACP branch, chaired citizen participation for Chicago’s federally funded Community Block Grant Program, directed the Illinois Department of Revenue, and led the first Black-owned McDonald’s franchise group in the country. He was also secretary-treasurer and director of Chicago Burr Oak Cemetery Association, a partner in public accounting for over thirty years, and a trustee and chairman of the City Colleges of Chicago.

His service extended to state and higher education, where Jones was a trustee of the University of Illinois from 1963 to 1971, participating in White House conferences on civil rights, drug abuse, and housing. He was also a director of the Independence Bank of Chicago. 

He served as Grand Sire Archon of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc. from 1980-82. In addition to his membership in Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Jones was also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society. He was active in civic life and advocacy organizations. He enjoyed sailing and helped integrate the prestigious Burnham Harbor Yacht Club, sailing his thirty-five-foot boat, Botswani.

Known for his tenacity, strategic thinking, intelligence, and lifelong commitment to expanding civil and economic freedoms, Theodore A. Jones broke barriers and opened doors for countless Black Americans.

Theodore A. Jones passed away at home in Chicago on April 12, 2001. His legacy endures through a lifetime devoted to public service, civil rights advocacy, and the betterment of his community.

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