[1] Jones was born in Gallatin in Sumner County, Tennessee, before moving to Indianapolis with his family in 1875.

[5] He was selected as a candidate for representative at the Republican convention held in September 1896,[6] which he successfully obtained.

[11] Jones was an advocate for the equal right for blacks in education[5] and in February 1897 he put forth House Bill No.

46 known as "The Jones Bill" for the "equal educational facilities of colored children" as well as repealing Section 4496 of the existing law that allowed superintendents to form segregated schools.

[13] He was the last African American elected to the legislature for several decades with the next being representative Henry J. Richardson Jr. in 1932 and the next senator was Robert Broken in 1941.