Wendell Edward Jones (November 4, 1937 – October 25, 2011) was an American educator, businessman, and politician. Born in

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, Michigan, Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle C ...

, Jones received his bachelor's degree in speech and hearing therapy and his master's degree in special education from

Ball State University Ball State University (Ball State, State or BSU) is a public university, public research university in Muncie, Indiana. It has two satellite facilities in Fishers, Indiana, Fishers and Indianapolis. On July 25, 1917, the Ball brothers, indust ...

. Jones also went to graduated school at Northern Illinois University. He was a speech therapist in the

Palatine, Illinois Palatine () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a northwestern residential suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 67,908. As of the 2010 Census, it was the seventh-largest community in Cook Coun ...

School District. He was also a salesman and was the owner of a promotional products company: "Wenco." Jones served on the Palatine Board of Trustees from 1967 to 1973 and as Palatine Village President from 1973 to 1977. Jones was a Republican. In 1998, he was appointed by local Republican leaders to the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

succeed Peter Fitzgerald upon the latter's election to the United States Senate. From 1998 to 2007, Jones served in the Illinois State Senate. Jones did not run for reelection in 2006 and was succeeded by Harper College District 512 trustee and fellow Republican Matt Murphy. Jones died in

Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...

.'Illinois Blue Book 2005-2006,' Biographical Sketch of Wendell E. Jones. pg. 93

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* 1937 births 2011 deaths People from Battle Creek, Michigan People from Palatine, Illinois Ball State University alumni Northern Illinois University alumni Businesspeople from Illinois Educators from Illinois Illinois city council members Mayors of places in Illinois Republican Party Illinois state senators Educators from Michigan 20th-century American businesspeople {{Illinois-statesenator-stub