Samuel Houston Jones

Sam Jones graduated valedictorian and class president of his high school. He attended college at LSU for two years before enlisting in the army to serve in World War I. Jones rose in rank to Sergeant before being discharged. He returned home to DeRidder and worked as a clerk of court while studying law under a local attorney.

Sam Jones was a member of the DeRidder Lodge No. 271. He was initiated, passed, and raised to Master Mason in October of 1918. He demitted from DeRidder in 1952 and became a charter member of Rudolph Krause Lodge No. 433 in 1953. Jones earned his 50 year certificate in 1968.

Jones had also become active in the American Legion and was elected State Commander in 1920. This gave Jones the opportunity to speak to large audiences across the state and became a public figure known for his oratory skills. Jones served as the youngest delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1921, and was admitted to the Louisiana bar in 1922. The following year, he was appointed to serve as a City Court judge in DeRidder by Governor Parker. After his term on the court, Jones moved to Lake Charles, where he worked as an assistant district attorney for 9 years.

As governor, Jones enacted civil service legislation and instituted a competitive bidding process for state contracts. He also had the annual voter registration requirement lifted. Jones was known to have been an honest governor, which was appreciated after over a decade of controversial administrations associated with Huey P. Long. Although Jones did not win a second term, he did manage to leave a mark of good governance with the founding of the Public Affairs Research Council. He continued to be active in politics by serving as a political advisor for campaigning candidates. Jones retired to Lake Charles where he died in 1978.