| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 13, 1936 |
| Died | July 14, 2014 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Judoka |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Judo |
| Rank | 9th dan black belt |
Jesse Jones was born on November 13, 1936, in Big Sandy, Texas. [1] He died on July 14, 2014. [2] He was the son of Hattie Chalk and Truman Jones. [1]
Jones was a former member of the United States Marine Corps. [3] He served from 1952 to 1973, having served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. [1] He earned two Purple Hearts during his tenure. [1]
Jones learned Judo while a member of the US Marines. He went on to teach Judo for over 55 years. [3] During this time, he implemented a number of Judo programs in the San Diego Area as well as Southwestern College. [3] He organized a number of tournaments at Southwestern College. [4] Jones served as the Southwest Judo Association Yudankashi's first vice president. [5] Jones was also a President of the United States Judo Association. [3] It was during this tenure that he brought the organization back from almost closing due to bankruptcy. [3] He won the United States Judo Association's Coach of the Year Award in 2013. [3] He served as a technical advisor during the US Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984 and Atlanta in 1996. [1] Jones also earned the United States Judo Associations USJA Lifetime Achievement Award. [1]
Jones married Joan Seidel and had two children, Andrea Lee and Nicole Suzanne. [1] Jones earned his MBA from San Diego State. [1]