Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: J. Kenneth Jonez
J. Kenneth Jonez was born John Kenneth Jones on February 11, 1903, in Baltimore, Maryland, according to his World War II draft card.
In the 1910 United States Census, Jones, his parents John and Sarah, lived with his maternal grandparents Benjamin and Sarah Gardner, in Baltimore at 910 North Stricker Street. Jones’ father was a sea captain.
The 1920 census recorded Jones, his parents and aunt at the same location.
The Montgomery County Sentinel (Rockville, Maryland), November 16, 1950, profiled Jones and said “he was born in Baltimore and attended McDonogh School in Pikesville and Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, Va.”
A passenger list at Ancestry.com listed Jones as a crew member of the steamship Leviathan that arrived in the port of New York on September 6, 1926.
Jones’ newspaper journey was chronicled in Editor & Publisher.
J. Kenneth Jones, formerly of the Associated Press, has joined the staff of the New York Herald Tribune as a reporter.
J. Kenneth Jones of the New York Herald Tribune staff, who made a round trip voyage to France as a seaman, has returned to work.
J. Kenneth Jones, of the reportorial staff, New York Herald Tribune, has been transferred to the sales staff of the syndicate department.
J. Kenneth Jones, formerly with the Baltimore Sun, and later with the Paris office of the New York Herald Tribune, is now assistant editor of the Newspaper Feature Service, New York.
Bell Syndicate, Inc. has started a new daily continuity strip, called “Tark.” It is drawn by Aslan Bey and the continuity is written by J. Kenneth Jovey [sic]. The central character is a detective.
It’s not known if Tark was ever published.
In trade magazines, Jones was spelled with an S. “J. Kenneth Jonez” was used for his newspaper work. That was Jones’ intention. The book, Paris Herald: The Incredible Newspaper (1947), detailed one such misspelling.
... Next morning the Herald had a lead story of about four columns by Pickering. Under its shoulder was Byrd’s own story carrying Byrd’s by-line, a circumstance over which the Times threatened legal proceedings, but did not proceed on advice of counsel. Under Byrd was Jonez’s story. He was made unhappy by the fact that the last letter of his by-line was an “s” instead of a “z” but nobody until then knew of this peculiarity of name.
In 1929, “Jonez” wrote verse for Virginia Huget’s Miss Aladdin series.
Jones published some pulp fiction.
According to the 1930 census, Jones and his wife were Manhattan residents at 210 East 31st Street. Jones’ occupation was newspaper promotion.
Broadcasting, November 1, 1939, said
J. Kenneth Jones, formerly publicity director of the Chicago Community Fund and previously on the continuity and production staff of WHAS, Louisville, has been appointed director of information of the Federal Radio Education Committee, according to an announcement by John W. Studebaker, U. S. Commissioner of Education and chairman of the Committee.
In the 1940 census, Jones was publicity director at Federal Radio Education. He and his wife lived in Washington, DC at 1421 Morse Street.
Broadcasting, October 1, 1940, said Jones was “appointed program director of the new WINX, Washington local which will go on the air about Oct. 15. He will assume his duties Oct. 1.”
Broadcasting, June 29, 1942, reported Jones’ military service preparation.
Lt. J. Kenneth Jones, USN, former continuity and production man at WHAS, Louisville, and afterward director of information of the U. S, Office of Education, has been ordered from Washington to the Chicago district for special training and eventual sea duty. He has been on active duty in the Navy Public Relations Branch since Dec. 3.
On April 12, 1943, Jones signed his World War II draft card. His address was 3800 14th Street, NW, apartment 311, Washington, DC. His employer was the Citizens Emergency Committee. Jones was described as five feet six inches, 155 pounds, with brown eyes and hair. He served in the Navy.
In Alexandria, Virginia, Jones married Iris Gertrude Davis Caffee on March 18, 1946.
Nation’s Business, August 1949, said Jones lived in Brooklyn.
Jones has not yet been found in the 1950 census. The Montgomery County Sentinel said Jones resided at 1024 Crawford Drive in Rockville, Maryland.
During 1950, Jones wrote a series of articles for This Week magazine: “The Fight for Life”, February 12, 1950; “My Ten Days in Scotland Yard”, September 17, 1950; “The FBI Wants You”, November 12, 1950; and “My Ten Days as a Santa Claus”, December 12, 1950.
The Montgomery County Sentinel said Jones wrote for Collier’s, Reader’s Digest, Coronet, Nation’s Business and Pageant. He spent two weeks with the French Foreign Legion. Jones flew with the Acrojets. He was a Hollywood stunt man. Jones was a wild animal trainer under, Damoo Dhotre of Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus. He spent ten days at Scotland Yard and dressed as Santa Claus for ten days.
Jones wrote I Was There (1953), Destroyer Squadron 23 (1959) and co-authored Admiral Arleigh (31-Knot) Burke (1962).
Jones passed away on April 11, 1967, in Bethesda, Maryland. The Evening Star (Washington, DC), April 12, 1967, printed an obituary.
Labels: Ink-Slinger Profiles
