Tom Jones, as he always preferred to be known, was born Elsa Mazzentine Jones. He changed his name to Thomas Elsa after arriving at Earlham College and finding that he had been assigned to the women's dormitory. Recorded a Friends minister while still in college, after graduation in 1912 Jones served as field secretary for the Board of Young Friends Activities of the Five Years Meeting of Friends. He did graduate work first at Hartford Seminary, then at Columbia University, where he completed his Ph.D. in sociology in 1926. He and his wife lived several years in Japan before he was chosen as president of Fisk University in 1926. He served there 20 years, then returned to Earlham as its president from 1946 to 1958. He helped transform Earlham from respectable midwestern church college into a national institution. After retirement, he continued to raise money for the college and the Earlham School of Religion until his death.
Tom Jones, as he always preferred to be known, was born Elsa Mazzentine Jones. He changed his name to Thomas Elsa after arriving at Earlham College and finding that he had been assigned to the women's dormitory. Recorded a Friends minister while still in college, after graduation in 1912 Jones served as field secretary for the Board of Young Friends Activities of the Five Years Meeting of Friends. He did graduate work first at Hartford Seminary, then at Columbia University, where he completed his Ph.D. in sociology in 1926. He and his wife lived several years in Japan before he was chosen as president of Fisk University in 1926. He served there 20 years, then returned to Earlham as its president from 1946 to 1958. He helped transform Earlham from respectable midwestern church college into a national institution. After retirement, he continued to raise money for the college and the Earlham School of Religion until his death.
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