ROBERT TAYLOR JONES was born in Rutledge, Tennessee, on February 8, 1884. He was a self-taught engineer, with work experiences on various construction projects in Mexico, Nevada, and on the Panama Canal. In 1909 he moved to Arizona, worked on several short-line railroads, and established the Jones Drug Company, which later grew into a chain of stores throughout the state. Jones entered politics in 1930 when he was elected to the Arizona Senate, serving until 1938. On November 8, 1939, Jones was elected Governor of Arizona, and on January 2, 1939, was sworn into office. During his term, the offices of State Historian and State Librarian merged, a minimum wage law for public works employees passed, and paroling and pardoning of convicts was regulated with more rigid rules. He did not run for reelection, and left office on January 6, 1941. Jones returned to his various businesses, and from 1951 to 1953 he managed the Arizona Office of Price Stabilization. Robert Taylor Jones died on June 11, 1958, and is buried in Phoenix, Arizona.
Current assignment referenced in the congressional directory.
