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A Celebration of the Life of
Dr. Herman H. Jones Jr.
Dr. Herman H. Jones Jr. passed away February 9, 2020 in Lenexa, KS after struggling through serious complications from surgery. Dr. Jones was born May 13, 1925 in Nashville, TN to Rev. Herman H Jones, Sr. and Vivian Clark Jones. He was a graduate of Pearl HIgh School in Nashville. Dr. Jones was drafted into the US Navy in World War ll where he served from 1943-46 as an aviation machinist. Upon discharge he returned to Nashville where he attended Fisk University, graduating in 1950 with a B.S. degree in Biology. It was there he met his lovely wife, Barbara Orange of Alexandria, LA, daughter of Dr. Grady and Ruth Orange.
He received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in 1954. He then went on to his first surgery internship at Community General Hospital in Reading, PA. He then went on in 1955 to a surgical residency at Kansas City General Hospital # 2, one of the few hospitals in the country that offered specialty training for black physicians. Dr. Jones moved to Topeka in 1956 where he opened a general practice. At the time, he was the only black physician on staff at the two major Topeka city hospitals, Stormont-Vail and St. Francis. He was welcomed as the first black physician into the Topeka Medical Society. He was also chairman of the local chapter of the Topeka NAACP.
He completed a general surgical residency at Wadsworth VA in Leavenworth, KS from 1959-63. From there, he began a successful surgical practice in downtown Kansas City, KS. He partnered with Dr Robert Forester in 1968 to build the first black owned multi- specialty medical building (Center City Medical Plaza) in Kansas City, KS.
Dr. Jones was a man of many other firsts. He was the first black doctor to walk the halls as a resident and physician at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City in 1960. He was the first black physician in Kansas City to become a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1966. He was the first black physician to become Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff at Providence Hospital in 1971. He was the first black physician to become Chief of Staff at Bethany Medical Center in 1982. He was the first black president of the Wyandotte County Medical Society in 1976. In 1979 he became the first black physician to hold the position of president of the Kansas City Board of Healing Arts. He was an assistant clinical professor at KU Medical Center. He served on the medical school admissions committee at KU from 1978-1981. He served on the advisory council for several Chancellors of KU. In 1978 he was appointed by the Governor as a Colonel of the Kansas Calvary (a major public relations group for the University of Kansas that served to recruit outstanding students into the university’s academic and graduate programs). He was a founding member of the Kaw Valley Medical Society. He served as Deputy Coroner for Wyandotte County and served on the medical staff at the Kansas City VA Hospital until his retirement in 2005. Dr. Jones was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities. He was deeply respected by his colleagues, beloved by his patients, and was well known as a consummate professional and an outstanding teacher. Dr. Jones and his wife Barbara enjoyed traveling to various countries. The couple would have celebrated 70 years of marriage on June 30, 2020.
He is survived by his wife,Barbara; brother, Clair Jones (Barbara); his children, Herman H Jones III, MD (Connie); Pamela Jones; Donna Jones Badocchi (Claudio) and Dwayne Jones, MD (Lisa); his grandchildren, Kimberly Jones; Arianna Badocchi; Francesco Badocchi; Camilla Badocchi; Vincent Jones; Paige Jones; Spencer Jones and Julian Jones.
In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to:
Meharry Medical College
Attention: Gift Management Services
Hulda Margaret Lyttle Hall
1005 Dr. D B Todd Jr. Blvd.
Nashville, Tennessee 37208
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