Lemuel Theophilus Jones Jr. (March 15, 1924 – December 17, 1995) was an American politician in the state of Missouri. He served in the Missouri State Senate as a Republican from 1965 to 1975.[1]

Lem T. Jones Jr.
Member of the Missouri Senate
from the 10th district
In office
1965–1975
Personal details
Born
Lemuel Theophilus Jones Jr.

(1924-03-15)March 15, 1924
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedDecember 17, 1995(1995-12-17) (aged 71)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLaverne Boes
Children2
EducationUniversity of Iowa (LLB)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • lawyer
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1942–1947 (active)
RankLieutenant commander
Battles/warsWorld War II

Early life

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Lemuel Theophilus Jones Jr. was born on March 15, 1924, to Lemuel and Jessie Jones in Chicago, Illinois. They moved to Kansas City, Missouri in his childhood, where Jones attended local schools, including Southwest High School, Kansas City Junior College, and the University of Kansas. After graduating, Jones was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy, where he served as a pilot during World War II, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

After the war, he attended the University of Iowa, studying for his LLB. There, he married Laverne Boes, and the two would go on to have two children, David and Marcia. He then moved back to Kansas City and started a law practice, where he entered local politics with the Republican Party.[2]

Political career

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Jones' first foray into politics was when he ran for U.S. Congress in 1956 from Missouri's 5th congressional district, but he lost the election to Richard W. Bolling.[3] Despite his loss, he persisted in local politics, serving on the Jackson County Republican Committee from 1962 to 1964 and the St. Louis 9th Ward Republican Committee from 1962 to 1966. He then was elected to the State Senate in a special election taking place in the 10th district.[4] He was re-elected in 1966 and 1970 but lost his bid for a third term to Democrat Harry Wiggins in 1974.

In 1968, Jones ran for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, winning the Republican primary with 55 percent of the vote. However, he lost the general election to Democrat William S. Morris.[5]

Later life

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After leaving office, Jones returned to private life. He was as a trustee of Research Medical Center from 1957 to 1991 and a Chairman of the Board of the Research Medical Center College of Nursing until his retirement in 1994. He was also a founder and Chairman of the Board of CGI Long Distance Company, headquartered in Mission, Kansas. He died on December 17, 1995, at age 71. He was interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.

Electoral history

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Missouri's 5th congressional district: 1956 Republican primary[6]
Year Subject Votes % Opponent Votes % Opponent Votes %
1956 Lem T. Jones 7,605 72.71 Kenneth Dickey 1,983 57.22 Elizabeth B. Caulk 872 8.34
Missouri's 5th congressional district: Results 1956[7]
Year Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1956 Lem T. Jones Republican 57,778 42.78 Richard W. Bolling (inc.) Democratic 77,287 57.22
Missouri's 10th State Senate district: August 1965 special election[8]
Year Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1965 Lem T. Jones Republican 9,895 59.27 John P. Ryan Democratic 6,800 40.73
Missouri's 10th State Senate district: Results 1966-1974[9]
Year Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1966 Lem T. Jones Republican 18,271 53.02 John A. Biersmith Democratic 16,189 46.98
1970 Lem T. Jones (inc.) Republican 22,004 55.12 Reynolds D. Rodgers Democratic 17,918 44.88
1974 Lem T. Jones (inc.) Republican 14,967 40.56 Harry Wiggins Democratic 21,931 59.44
Missouri Lieutenant Governor: 1968 Republican primary[10]
Year Subject Votes % Opponent Votes % Opponent Votes %
1968 Lem T. Jones 115,179 55.91 George R. Hart 69,978 33.97 James Pirtle 20,858 10.13
Missouri Lieutenant Governor: Results 1968[11]
Year Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1968 Lem T. Jones Republican 733,850 43.03 William S. Morris Democratic 971,684 56.97

References

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  1. ^ "Official Manual of the State of Missouri 1969 - 1970 :: Official Manual of the State of Missouri -The Blue Book". Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  2. ^ "Official Manual of the State of Missouri 1967 - 1968", mdh.contentdm.oclc.org, retrieved August 31, 2022
  3. ^ "MO District 5", OurCampaigns, retrieved August 31, 2022
  4. ^ "Official Manual of the State of Missouri 1967 - 1968", mdh.contentdm.oclc.org, retrieved August 31, 2022
  5. ^ "Jones, Jr., Lem T.", OurCampaigns, retrieved August 31, 2022
  6. ^ "MO District 5 - R Primary", OurCampaigns, retrieved August 31, 2022
  7. ^ "MO District 5", OurCampaigns, retrieved August 31, 2022
  8. ^ "MO State Senate 10 - Special Election", OurCampaigns, retrieved August 31, 2022
  9. ^ "Jones Jr., Lem T.", OurCampaigns, retrieved August 31, 2022
  10. ^ "MO Lt. Governor - R Primary", OurCampaigns, retrieved August 31, 2022
  11. ^ "MO District 5", OurCampaigns, retrieved August 31, 2022
Party political offices
Preceded by
Jewett M. Fulkerson
Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
1968
Succeeded by