Roger Jones' good works leave legacy of greatness

Like 16th century Italian artist and scientist extraordinaire Leonardo da Vinci, 21st century Youngstown philanthropist and industrialist Roger Jones embodied the essence of the Renaissance man through masterful works that span a wide swath of disciplines.

As such, the outstandingly versatile Jones, who died last week at age 89, has left an indelible imprint on the Mahoning Valley as an innovative, creative and results-oriented leader in business, urban development, education, philanthropy and the arts.

As we mourn his loss and send condolences to his family and loved ones, we also celebrate this contemporary Renaissance man’s legacy of community enrichment in so many arenas of Greater Youngstown.

Among the many faces of Jones, his business personna perhaps best defined him over the past seven decades.

Jones, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., came to this region in the 1960s to work at New Castle Refractories. By 1967, he and his wife Gloria put their faith and savings in the strong workforce of Youngstown and opened Fireline Inc.

Over the years, Jones shepherded business growth and physical expansion for the Andrews Avenue supplier of turbine blades for aerospace-, land- and ocean-based energy production. Today, the company is undergoing its ninth expansion since the early 1990s that will usher in additional employment growth at Fireline and economic development for the city Jones so loved.

His company even drew the attention of the administration of former President Barack Obama in 2012, when it was featured in a campaign heralding manufacturing might in Ohio and the nation.

Fireline also was known for its strong worker-management bonds. As Barbara Burley, the company’s president today, said of Jones, “He was creative, he was very attentive, and he always put the employees of the company above everything else. He wanted to make Fireline a special place to work, and he did.”

Jones’ distinction in commerce proceeded a distinguished military career. As a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Jones received numerous honors and decorations, including a Bronze Star for Heroic or Meritorious Achievement.

DISTINGUISHED SCUlPTOR, PLAYWRIGHT

He also achieved merit for his dedicated passion for the arts, particularly painting, sculpture, poetry and play writing. Some of his sculptures are mounted in more than two dozen collections, including in the Butler Institute of American Art.

Jones’ literary talents also have garnered critical acclaim. His locally produced plays, including “Conversations” and “On the Way to the Corn Roast,” explore genres from intense drama to theater of the absurd.

Many in the community, however, best appreciate Jones for his long record of selfless philanthropy. He gave considerable time and money to community institutions he passionately believed in.

Prime among them was Youngstown State University. In return, the university presented Jones and his wife its annual Friend of the University Award. The much deserved honor recognized the two for their endowed scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and in Fine Arts that he spearheaded. Jones also has a long record of financial gifts to the university’s STEM College, College of Creative Arts, WYSU-FM, the English Festival and many other YSU programs and projects.

Over the past decade, he’s stood as a firm pillar for the children’s museum that bears his name in downtown Youngstown – OH WOW! The Roger and Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology. That commitment continued last year when instead of receiving a gift for his 88th birthday, Roger Jones gave an additional $1 million gift to OH WOW!

“We feel it’s absolutely necessary to protect the future of the children’s center,” he said at that celebration. Indeed much of OH WOW!’s success is tied directly to the Joneses. Since opening six years ago, it has attracted nearly 300,000 visitors to its innovative, educational and just-plain fun programming.

Fortunately, that center will continue to stand proudly in the heart of a revitalized downtown Youngstown as an inspiration for boundless greatness to other budding Renaissance men and women for years and decades to come.