Obituary: Clyde Jones (1935–2015)

Abstract

Clyde Jones (Fig. 1) was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on 3 March 1935, to John Walter and Leona Hall Jones. His parents divorced soon afterwards, and Clyde and his older brother, (John) Carlyle, spent much of their boyhoods growing up on the Hall ranch in the sandhills north of Burwell, Nebraska. Two of Leona’s siblings, Robert and Mary Hall, and their mother managed the place, so the boys grew up surrounded by family. The Halls raised cattle feed and purebred Herefords, and both boys worked hard on the ranch. For several years, Leona rented a house in town and worked in the local butter factory while the boys attended school. Leona and 2 of her sisters had taught in country schools, and she and the rest of the Halls encouraged the boys to do well as students and as athletes (both played football and ran track while in school in Burwell). In spite of a 14-year difference in age, Clyde and Carlyle were close. Clyde and the rest of his family were devastated when Carlyle died on Iwo Jima in 1945. Clyde provided additional details about his early life in Jones (2005). Fig. 1. Dr. Clyde Jones, upon being made Paul Whitfield Horn Professor in The Museum, Texas Tech University in 1999. Photo by permission of Texas Tech University. After graduation and a year of working in a naval munitions plant, Clyde attended Hastings College (Hastings, Nebraska), initially considering careers in physical therapy, teaching, or ranching. While at Hastings, 3 major events impacted his future. He married a Burwell girl, who was working in Hastings, Charlene Owen, in the campus chapel on 3 September 1956. Among other things, they shared an enthusiasm for Cornhusker football and, eventually, for international travel. He and Charlene became friends with fellow biology student and football …