Joseph Jay Jones

Who was Joseph Jay Jones?

Joe Jones was an American academic and writer with a special interest in English literature from outside the United States.

He was born in Peru, Nebraska and studied at Nebraska State College and studied for a BSc at University of Nebraska before earning an MA and PhD at Stanford University. He taught for one year at Colorado State College before commencing what was to become a 40-year career in the Faculty of English at the University of Texas.

A major achievement was compilation of American Literary Manuscripts, detailing where essential source documents were held. Another was his private donation to the faculty library of what is now Joseph Jones Caribbean Plays collection.

He published a great many articles and reviews in popular and academic journals and was Supervising editor of around 60 volumes in the World Authors series for Twayne Publishers of Boston and New York between 1965 and 1980

A personal interest was Waller Creek, which flows through the University, and on the rehabilitation of which he devoted much of his spare time, documented in his most popular publication Life on Waller Creek.

His partner and supporter in these endeavors was his wife Johanna, with whom he published three influential books on literature of other English-speaking countries, a field he had made his specialty.