Bob Jones III
| Bob Jones III | |
|---|---|
Jones in 2011
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| 3rd President of Bob Jones University |
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In office 1971–2005 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Jones, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Reynolds Jones III August 8, 1939 Cleveland, Tennessee |
| Spouse(s) | Beneth Peters Jones |
| Children | 3, including Bob Jones IV and Stephen Jones |
| Residence | Greenville, South Carolina |
| Alma mater | Bob Jones University |
| Profession | college chancellor, clergyman |
Robert Reynolds "Bob" Jones III (born August 8, 1939) was the third president of Bob Jones University. The son of Bob Jones, Jr., and the grandson of Bob Jones, Sr., the university's founder, Jones served as president of BJU from 1971 to 2005.
Jones was born in Cleveland, Tennessee, the son of Fannie May (Holmes) and Bob Jones, Jr. Jones moved with his family to Greenville, South Carolina, in 1947 when Bob Jones College built a new campus and became Bob Jones University. Because his father was a connoisseur of the arts, Jones III early visited Europe and the Levant on his father's summer tours. As a teenager he was given minor roles in campus Shakespeare performances and a major role in the film version of his father's novel Wine of Morning. Likewise, as the son and grandson of well-known fundamentalists, Jones III met many politicians and notable preachers in his youth.
At fifteen, his father rusticated him to a summer camp sponsored by Ernest Reveal, a BJU board member and the founder of the Evansville Rescue Mission, where Jones preached and otherwise participated in the camp's evangelistic ministry to lower-class children from the Evansville area. Jones credited this experience with having had a significant impact on his later career.
Jones completed his bachelor of arts (1959) and master of arts (1961) in speech from Bob Jones University and took additional courses in speech and drama at Northwestern University and New York University. He also received honorary degrees from two small Bible schools and a seminary.
Although less intellectually gifted than his father, Jones III did excel academically. Unlike his father, though, Jones III also developed an interest in athletics—basketball as a young man, and later skiing, hunting and other outdoor sports. He enjoyed flying and even considered a military career.
Nevertheless, by the end of his undergraduate years, Jones believed that he had been called to “help perpetuate the ideals and standards” of the school that his grandfather had founded. He served as a teaching assistant in the speech department and then as a dormitory supervisor. Between 1961 and 1971, his father provided a growing administrative role in the University, including preaching for campus services. He also accepted an increasing number of off-campus speaking invitations.
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