Philip and Betty Jones Collection: Home

Collection Number: SC#76

Title: 
Philip and Betty Jones Collection

Dates: 
1966-1999

Collection Size: 
3 boxes, 7 bookshelves

Philip Laurence Jones was born in England on October 25, 1904, and died in Joplin, Mo on March 23, 2000. He worked as a consulting engineer where he worked on mining and drilling projects in the southwest Missouri area. He was previously on the board of Spiva Art Center and was connected with the Joplin Rotary. He also became an American Field Service area representative for Missouri in 1964. In 1977, he became a trustee for AFS.   

Evelyn Milligan Jones was born August 11, 1913, and died on March 19, 1978. She was on staff at the Joplin globe where she did many book reviews. In 1962 her book “Tales about Joplin”, a book about the origins of various innovations in Joplin, was published. She along with Philip Jones became an American Field Service area representative for Missouri in 1964, later becoming a trustee in 1977.  

Mary Betty Jones was born on January 22, 1918, and died on March 16, 2015.  She had served on the Joplin Little Theatre board as President and had served as President for the Joplin County Medical Auxiliary. She was also on the board of Joplin’s woman’s club. 

The Jones collection contains information on Philip Jones Engineering work, information on Evelyn Jones book reviews and some transcripts from her tv/radio appearances, photographs of the southwest Missouri area, information on and photographs of churches in Joplin Missouri.  

Within the collection is reports and correspondence related to Philip Jones’ engineering work. These reports are related to mining and drilling that happened in Hyde Park and other areas local to Joplin Missouri. This includes information such as drilling depth and locations as well as content results from water samples near mining activity.  

The collection includes Evelyn Jones’ tv/radio transcripts and book reviews clippings. In these tv/radio transcripts Evelyn tells short tales about Joplin’s early development including its transportation, mines, mills, important houses, businesses, and faith.  

In the collection is a folder that holds information relating to the Bundles for Britain Organization and the participation of Joplin, Missouri’s The Church of St. Philip’s in donating. There is correspondence between the church and the Bundles for Britain organization, a list of British hospitals and packets giving information on the hospitals affected by air raids in WWII. Also included are lists of the needed items, supply costs, and booklets giving information on the organization and cause.  

There is also information on many of the churches local to Joplin Missouri. There are listings of the addresses of many churches as well as their faith. Also included is the history of the founding of some of these churches. There are also several photographs of various churches, their congregations, and events held in relation to the churches.  

In the collection are multiples years' worth of Joplin Historical society Newsletters. These newsletters cover the seasonal activities of the Joplin Historical Society from 1966 to 1972. There is also a directory of members and information on different events and programs the society had held.  

There is a binder within the collection that contains information on the Dorothea B. Hoover Museum. Included is information on the founding of the museum and groups associated with it, Joplin historical society, as well as some information on its development. There is a floor plan which depicts where some of the exhibits/collections at the time were held. There are also tour guide notes on the various exhibits/collections' history and purpose. 

Also included in the collection are Newspaper clippings. Most of the newspaper clippings are related to the activities of the Joplin historical society or the Dorothea B. Hoover Museum. This also includes other historically and culturally important clippings around the Southwest Missouri area. Included among the history related newspaper clippings are clippings related to the Jones’ personal lives.  

Finally, there are items in the collection that do not properly fall under any of the already mentioned items. There are three flora paintings, artist unknown. There is also a folder of different restaurant menus. There is another folder that contains playbills for non-local plays.  

Philip Jones

Evelyn Jones

Betty Jones

Donated by Betty Jones in 1999.

Box 1