Louis Clayton Jones facts for kids

Louis Clayton Jones (born November 13, 1935 – died January 9, 2006) was an American lawyer and a leader in the fight for civil rights. He strongly believed in equal rights for everyone. He also helped start the National Conference of Black Lawyers.

Early Life and Education

Louis Clayton Jones was born in Lexington, Kentucky. He went to Howard University in Washington, D.C., and graduated in 1957. He studied Philosophy and French. He was a very good student and received a special scholarship called a Fulbright Scholarship. This allowed him to study in France at the Sorbonne and the University of Bordeaux. There, he learned about politics and French literature.

In 1958, he received another scholarship, a John Hay Whitney Fellowship. He then went to Yale Law School and finished his law degree in 1961.

Working for Human Rights

After law school, Jones returned to Kentucky in 1961. He became an Assistant Director for the new Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. His job was to help create the rules for how the commission would handle complaints about unfair treatment. He faced some difficulties while working there, which led him to move to New York City. He practiced law in New York from 1962 to 1968.

Notable Cases and International Work

In the mid-1980s, Louis Clayton Jones took on an important case. He was the lawyer for the family of Michael Stewart. Michael was a young man who died after being arrested. The police officers involved were accused of using too much force, but they were later found not guilty.

Mr. Jones also worked on international projects. He helped with the government of Liberia. He also managed money matters for a company in Paris that was part of a larger company from Saudi Arabia.

Later Career and Publications

In 1985, Jones became the Director of Legal and Financial Affairs for a company. While in Paris, he learned about Pycnogenol, a powerful health supplement. In 1988, he bought the rights to sell Pycnogenol in North America. After making Pycnogenol well-known in America, Jones retired from his company and from practicing law.

From the early 1990s, he focused on sharing his ideas through writing. He edited a journal called The African Century. He also published The New African and The Cyber-Drum. This was a website that shared daily news and comments about important events for people in Africa and other developing countries.

Louis Clayton Jones passed away from cancer on January 9, 2006, at the age of 70.