A Youngstown Native, Jones was the first African American Federal Appeals Court Judge in Ohio, and was the First Black Federal Prosecutor in the Northern District of Ohio; Jones Served 23 years as Judge on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, with Black History Month as the backdrop, the Senate passed U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) and Rob Portman’s (R-OH) resolution honoring the life, legacy and work of Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, Nathaniel R. Jones. Jones, a civil rights activist and Youngstown native, was the first African American Federal Appeals Court Judge in Ohio, and the first black prosecutor in the Northern District of Ohio. He served 23 years as a Judge on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Jones passed away at his home in Cincinnati last month but his legacy will live on for generations.
“Judge Jones devoted his entire life to answering the call for racial justice, and his unwavering commitment to this country is one we should all aspire to emulate. He not only fought to make this country a better place, but he paved the way for generations of lawyers, clerks and advocates that will follow him,” said Brown.
“We lost a giant in Judge Nathaniel Jones. Through his work as a lawyer he was a national leader in advancing civil rights and as a judge a distinguished champion in protecting those rights. Through it all, he was a humble man of the highest integrity. I’m proud the Senate passed the resolution honoring my friend Nate Jones,” said Portman.
Jones was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, and attended Youngstown State University (YSU), where he earned an undergraduate degree in 1951 and a law degree in 1955. While at YSU, Judge Jones joined Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, having been initiated at the Beta Pi Chapter. He later became the 65th Laurel Wreath Laureate in the fraternity.
Upon graduation, Jones served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.
In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Judge Nathaniel Jones to serve as the Assistant General Counsel for the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, also known as the Kerner Commission. The final report issued by the commission found racism to be the cause of civil unrest occurring in cities across the U.S. during the 1960s, and determined that the United States was “moving toward two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal.”
Jones also served as the General Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1969 to 1979, directing efforts to desegregate public schools in Northern cities, defending affirmative action, and fighting against discrimination against African American soldiers in U.S. Armed Forces.
In addition to countless groundbreaking achievements, Jones received 19 honorary degrees and numerous awards of distinction, such as the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor awarded by the NAACP; the International Freedom Conductor Award from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center; the Charles Hamilton Houston Medallion of Merit from the Washington Bar Association; and the Pillar of Justice Award from the Federal Bar Association. Last year, the University of Cincinnati rededicated the Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice – at the College of Law in the Judge’s honor.
A copy of the Senators’ resolution can be found here.