Paul Jones was laid down 23 December 1919 and launched 30 September 1920 from William Cramp & Sons; sponsored by Miss Ethel Bagley; and commissioned 19 April 1921.

As flagship of Destroyer Squadron 29, Asiatic Fleet, she received the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor 8 December 1941, at Tarakan, Borneo, and immediately prepared for action.

She joined a raiding group consisting of three other destroyers: John D. Ford, Pope, and Parrott, along with cruisers Marblehead and Boise, hoping to intercept a large enemy convoy heading southward toward Balikpapan.

Boise retired early from the group because of a grounding mishap and Marblehead developed a faulty turbine forcing her to reduce speed and remain behind the destroyers to act as cover for withdrawal.

The American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDA) commenced sweeps 24 February in search of enemy surface forces which might be attempting to make landings in the Java area, and to give what opposition they could to the Japanese advance.

Sailing in company with Parrott and Barker, Paul Jones departed San Francisco 30 March, transited the Panama Canal 6 May and reported to New York where she commenced convoy escort duty 28 May between North African ports and the U.S. Convoy assignments were carried out until April 1944, when Paul Jones was assigned temporarily to antisubmarine (ASW) patrol seaward of Chesapeake Bay.

She then made convoy runs to several United Kingdom ports before being assigned as training ship for newly commissioned submarines at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone, which commenced 9 November and terminated 6 April 1945, when she sailed for New York.