Mary Alice Jones

Who is Mary Alice Jones?

Mary Alice Jones was an author of religious books for children.

Mary Alice Jones was born in Dallas, Texas in 1898. She was involved in religion from an early age, joining the Methodist Church at age 10. She received her initial college education at the University of Texas before attending Northwestern University, earning a masters degree in religious education, and then receiving a Ph.D. from Yale University. She served as the director of children's work for the South Carolina Annual Conference and also for the International Council of Religious Education. She was the first woman teacher at the Yale Divinity School.

She became a children's book editor at Rand McNally & Company in 1945, before transitioning into writing work, authoring such books as Prayers for Little Children, which sold over 2 million copies, and Tell Me About God.

In 1951 she left Rand McNally and became the director of children's work for the General Board of Education of the Methodist Church.