Bobby Jones, PhD (28 February 1932 - 21 December 1992) was a noted American educator who distinguished himself by becoming the first

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

to earn tenure at Mercer University, a highly selective

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

. Jones later became chair of the Education Department there. He was instrumental in the development of innovative teaching techniques that are used as standards throughout the education industry to this date. He inspired hundreds of students to go on to become educators as highlighted in ''A Joyful Passion for Teaching''. Jones is also credited with assisting in destroying the racial divide that existed throughout central Georgia in the novel ''Macon Black and White''. Jones devoted his life to helping others realize their goals. He was instrumental in the establishment of Mercer University's first Upward Bound Program where he mentored aspiring, educationally talented under-privileged youth. Jones assisted them in the pursuit and achievement of their collegiate aspirations.

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* * * 1932 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American educators African-American academics 20th-century African-American educators {{US-academic-bio-stub