Edmund Jones (April 15, 1918 – September 14, 2019) was an American politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

who served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 161 Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 161 includes part of Delaware County. It is currently represented by Democrat Leanne Krueger. District profile The district includes the following areas: Delaware County: * Aston Township * ...

from 1971 to 1974.

Early life and education

Jones was born in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...

in 1918. The family moved to

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Swarthmore ( , ) is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Swarthmore was originally named "Westdale" in honor of noted painter Benjamin West, who was one of the early residents of the town. The name was changed to "Swarthmore" after the es ...

in 1930. He graduated from

Swarthmore High School Swarthmore High School was a four-year public high school in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania serving the Boroughs of Swarthmore and Rutledge. History Swarthmore established its own independent school district when Swarthmore Borough incorporated in 18 ...

in 1935 and obtained a B.A. from

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...

in 1939 and a LL.D. from

University of Pennsylvania Law School The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (also known as Penn Law or Penn Carey Law) is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is among the most selective and olde ...

in 1942. He served as a Captain in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in a heavy automotive maintenance company. He was assigned to the war crimes branch in

Wiesbaden, Germany Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

. After the war, Jones assisted with the

Nuremberg War Trials The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany invaded m ...

taking depositions from war crimes witnesses.

Career

Jones practiced law in the Delaware County firm that his grandfather established in 1876. From 1966 to 1971, Jones served as mayor of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Jones was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on May 18, 1971 to serve the remainder of the 1971 term after the death of Edward Mifflin in office. He was reelected in 1972 but lost reelection in 1974 to

Peter O'Keefe Peter J. O'Keefe (born April 25, 1937) is an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 161 from 1975 to 1978. Early life and education O'Keefe was born in Dar ...

. In 1985, Jones was elected to the Swarthmore Borough Authority. He served from 1985 to 1989 and as the chair of the authority in 1989. Jones was elected to the Delaware County Council and served from 1987 to 1988. He served as the chair of the Delaware County Planning Commission from 1988 to 1989. He served as a board member of the

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...

from 1989 to 1996.

Personal life

In 1941, Jones was married to Adalyn and together they had three daughters and a son. Jones was a member of the Rotarians for over 70 years, having joined the Chester Rotary Club in 1945. Jones turned 100 in April 2018 and died in September 2019 in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.Edmund Jones 1918 – 2019
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References

1918 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American politicians American centenarians Men centenarians United States Army personnel of World War II Mayors of places in Pennsylvania County commissioners in Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Nuremberg trials Pennsylvania lawyers People from Chester, Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania Swarthmore College alumni University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni 20th-century American lawyers {{Pennsylvania-PARepresentative-stub