Lem T. Jones Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theMissouri Senate from the 10th district | |
| In office 1965–1975 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lemuel Theophilus Jones Jr. (1924-03-15)March 15, 1924 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 17, 1995(1995-12-17) (aged 71) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Laverne Boes |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Iowa (LLB) |
| Occupation |
|
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1947 (active) |
| Rank | Lieutenant commander |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Lemuel Theophilus Jones Jr. (March 15, 1924 – December 17, 1995) was an American politician in the state ofMissouri. He served in theMissouri State Senate as a Republican from 1965 to 1975.[1]
Lemuel Theophilus Jones Jr. was born on March 15, 1924, to Lemuel and Jessie Jones inChicago, Illinois. They moved toKansas City, Missouri in his childhood, where Jones attended local schools, includingSouthwest High School,Kansas City Junior College, and theUniversity of Kansas. After graduating, Jones was commissioned as an officer in theUnited States Navy, where he served as a pilot duringWorld War II, reaching the rank ofLieutenant Commander.
After the war, he attended theUniversity of Iowa, studying for hisLLB. There, he married Laverne Boes, and the two would go on to have two children, David and Marcia. He then moved back to Kansas City and started a law practice, where he entered local politics with theRepublican Party.[2]
Jones' first foray into politics was when he ran forU.S. Congress in1956 fromMissouri's 5th congressional district, but he lost the election toRichard W. Bolling.[3] Despite his loss, he persisted in local politics, serving on the Jackson County Republican Committee from 1962 to 1964 and the St. Louis 9th Ward Republican Committee from 1962 to 1966. He then was elected to theState Senate in a special election taking place in the 10th district.[4] He was re-elected in 1966 and 1970 but lost his bid for a third term toDemocratHarry Wiggins in 1974.
In 1968, Jones ran forLieutenant Governor of Missouri, winning the Republican primary with 55 percent of the vote. However, he lost the general election to DemocratWilliam S. Morris.[5]
After leaving office, Jones returned to private life. He was as a trustee of Research Medical Center from 1957 to 1991 and a Chairman of the Board of the Research Medical Center College of Nursing until his retirement in 1994. He was also a founder and Chairman of the Board of CGI Long Distance Company, headquartered inMission, Kansas. He died on December 17, 1995, at age 71. He was interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.
| Year | Subject | Votes | % | Opponent | Votes | % | Opponent | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Lem T. Jones | 7,605 | 72.71 | Kenneth Dickey | 1,983 | 57.22 | Elizabeth B. Caulk | 872 | 8.34 |
| Year | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Lem T. Jones | Republican | 57,778 | 42.78 | Richard W. Bolling (inc.) | Democratic | 77,287 | 57.22 |
| Year | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Lem T. Jones | Republican | 9,895 | 59.27 | John P. Ryan | Democratic | 6,800 | 40.73 |
| Year | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Lem T. Jones | Republican | 18,271 | 53.02 | John A. Biersmith | Democratic | 16,189 | 46.98 | ||
| 1970 | Lem T. Jones (inc.) | Republican | 22,004 | 55.12 | Reynolds D. Rodgers | Democratic | 17,918 | 44.88 | ||
| 1974 | Lem T. Jones (inc.) | Republican | 14,967 | 40.56 | Harry Wiggins | Democratic | 21,931 | 59.44 |
| Year | Subject | Votes | % | Opponent | Votes | % | Opponent | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Lem T. Jones | 115,179 | 55.91 | George R. Hart | 69,978 | 33.97 | James Pirtle | 20,858 | 10.13 |
| Year | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Lem T. Jones | Republican | 733,850 | 43.03 | William S. Morris | Democratic | 971,684 | 56.97 |
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jewett M. Fulkerson | Republican nominee forLieutenant Governor of Missouri 1968 | Succeeded by |