Jetta Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jetta Jones
Jetta A. Norris, from a 1946 issue of The Crisis
Born	Jetta Ann Norris February 24, 1926 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	April 9, 2021 (aged 95) Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Lawyer, city official

Jetta Ann Norris Jones (born February 24, 1926 – died April 9, 2021) was an amazing American lawyer and city official. She was also a generous person who gave a lot to good causes, known as a philanthropist. Jetta Jones lived in Chicago for most of her life.

She made history as the first Black woman to be a trustee at the Art Institute of Chicago. A trustee is like a board member who helps guide an organization. She also served on the boards of important groups like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the National Urban League. These groups work to protect civil rights and help people.

Early Life and Education

Jetta Anne Norris was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father, J. Austin Norris, was a lawyer and worked for newspapers. Her mother was Marie Mitchell Norris.

Jetta went to a school called Northfield Mount Hermon Academy. After that, she studied at Mount Holyoke College, graduating in 1947. She then went on to study law at Yale Law School, which is a very famous law school.

A Career Helping Others

While Jetta was still in law school, she started working. She also worked for a judge named Herbert E. Millen. At the same time, she helped out at the Philadelphia office of the Pittsburgh Courier. This was a very important newspaper for Black communities.

In 1948, Jetta was chosen as the vice-president of the Young Democratic Clubs of Pennsylvania. This showed her early interest in politics and helping her community.

Working in Chicago

In the late 1950s, Jetta Jones moved to Chicago with her husband. There, she continued her work as a lawyer. She worked for law firms run by Claude Holman and Cyril Robinson. In 1964, she was welcomed into the Alpha Gamma Pi professional sorority, a group for women in different careers.

Jetta Jones also worked for the City of Chicago. In the 1980s, she was the Director of External Affairs for Mayor Harold Washington. This meant she helped the mayor connect with different groups and people outside the city government. She also led the Joint Human Relations Council for the city. This council worked to improve relationships between different groups of people.

In 1991, Jetta and her husband hosted a special event at their home in Hyde Park. They held a fundraiser for Douglas Wilder, who was running to be the governor of Virginia.

Community Leadership

Jetta Jones was a co-chair of the Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP. This fund helps pay for legal cases that fight for civil rights. She was also on the boards of many other important organizations. These included the National Urban League, the Lincoln Park Zoological Society, and the Mount Holyoke College Museum of Art.

A big achievement was becoming the first Black woman trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was also active on the Women's Boards at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Jetta was part of The Girl Friends, Inc., which is a national organization for Black women. She also helped start the Women’s Foundation of Chicago.

Jetta and her husband loved art and had a large, interesting collection. They were very generous and donated many pieces of art. Their donations went to places like the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Chicago State University.

Personal Life

Jetta Norris married James E. Jones in 1953. He was a doctor who specialized in helping mothers and babies. They got married the day after he finished medical school!

In the 1950s, they lived in England for two years. This was because her husband was serving in the United States Air Force. Jetta and James had three children together.

Jetta's husband passed away in 2006. Jetta Ann Norris Jones passed away in 2021 in Los Angeles, California. She was 95 years old.