The Life and Legacy of Jesse H. Jones

Jesse Jones waving

This exhibit explores the impact of Jesse H. Jones on the city of Houston and the United States as a whole through Jones's lifelong work as an entrepreneur, politician, and philanthropist. Jones rose from humble beginnings to build a significant portion of downtown Houston in the first half of the twentieth century, then took his talents to Washington, D.C. to help rescue the nation’s finances. In his role as chairman of the Reconstruction Finance Committee, Jones became known as the second most powerful man in Washington behind President Roosevelt himself and was responsible for stabilizing the nation’s banks and mobilizing the country for World War II. 

Credits

Created by Corinne Wilkinson, Class of 2018, as part of the Fondren Fellows program, Summer 2017.