Monument to Melvin Jones in Madrid, Spain, 220px
Melvin Jones (January 13, 1879 – June 1, 1961) was the founder and secretary-treasurer of
Lions Clubs International
The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, by Melvin Jones. It is now headquartere ...
.
He was born in
Fort Thomas, Arizona
Fort Thomas ( apw, Gowąh Golgai Gohoshé) is a census-designated place in Graham County, Arizona, Graham County, Arizona, United States. Its population was 319 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The community has an elementary scho ...
(at that time the
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
). His father was a captain in the United States Army. In 1886 or 1887, the family moved east when his father was transferred. Melvin Jones settled in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, where he studied at the Union Business and
Chaddock colleges of
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...
. At age 33 he was the sole owner of his own insurance agency in Chicago and became a member of the local business circle, and was elected secretary shortly thereafter. Melvin Jones was also a Freemason.
After two years, prompted by his personal code – "You can't get very far until you start doing something for somebody else" – Jones proposed that the talents of the circle's members could be better utilized in other areas of community life, He invited representative from other men's clubs in and around Chicago to a meeting to devise a suitable organization and from that meeting, Jones subsequently integrated his club into an existing initiative that further led to his selection as Secretary of the
International Association of Lions Clubs later to be named "Lions Clubs International". Jones eventually gave up his insurance agency to work full-time at Lions International Headquarters.
In 1945, Jones represented Lions Clubs International as a consultant at the
United Nations Conference on International Organization
The United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO), commonly known as the San Francisco Conference, was a convention of delegates from 50 Allied nations that took place from 25 April 1945 to 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, Cali ...
in San Francisco.
Memorials
There is a memorial to Melvin Jones, in the form of a fifty-foot spire, in his birthplace of Fort Thomas.
At Lions headquarters in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
there is a mural and portrait of Melvin Jones by Bangladeshi sculptor
Mrinal Haque.
There is a Melvin Jones Memorial Grandstand in
Burnham Park, Philippines.
There is a Melvin Jones Belvedere (with a view of the Alps on a clear day) at
Vignale Monferrato
Vignale Monferrato is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about east of Turin and about northwest of Alessandria.
Vignale Monferrato borders the following municipalities: Altavilla ...
,
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
, Italy.
There is a Melvin Jones Memorial on Avenida Capital de España, 28042 Madrid
0.461999, -3.615861 5 minutes from the Campo de las Naciones tube station on Metro Linea 8. The memorial was erected by the Lions Clubs of Spain Multiple District 116.
There is a street, Rua Melvin Jones, in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
.
There is a street and a school named after Melvin Jones, in
Parana,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
There is a square, Piazzale Melvin Jones, and bust in Rieti, Italy.
There is a small square, Largo Melvin Jones, in
Borgomanero
Borgomanero ( pms, Borbané; lmo, Borbanee) is a (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin, about northwest of Novara and about 60 km northwest of Milan.
Borgomanero border ...
, Italy
The Lions Eye Bank located at San Martino Hospital in Genova is dedicated to Melvin Jones.
In 2017, the United States Mint issued a non-circulating commemorative coin honoring the centennial of the Lions Club; the obverse (heads side) features a depiction of Melvin Jones. The traditional sized silver coin was offered on the United States Mint website (www.usmint.gov) for sale through the end of 2017.
References
{{Authority control
1879 births
1961 deaths
American businesspeople
American Freemasons
Lions Clubs International