Edward Charles Jones

Edward C. Jones was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the son of Jesse Collins Jones and Marguerite Virginia Penn. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and was commissioned into the United States Army, receiving orders for active duty beginning in January 1956.

Following graduation, Ed pursued additional academic study at Texas Southern University, completing graduate-level coursework in mathematics, including statistics, as well as undergraduate coursework in accounting. His military service included attendance at the Basic Infantry Officers School and instructional service teaching ROTC cadets.

Ed began his professional career with General Electric in Utica, New York, where he served as a Design Engineer in the Countermeasures division. His technical skill and leadership were quickly recognized, leading to rapid professional advancement. In 1963, he transitioned to IBM in Owego, New York, where he began a distinguished career spanning multiple decades.

During his tenure at IBM, Ed served for five years as System Quality Engineer on the Saturn V Instrument Unit (IU) computer, contributing directly to the Apollo space program. His work was recognized with an invitation to attend the Apollo contractors’ “Splashdown Party” in Washington, D.C., commemorating the safe return of the astronauts from the Moon in 1969.

Ed advanced through a series of leadership roles at IBM, including Site Quality Manager, and completed Executive Management Training at Northeastern University. In 1972, he accepted a corporate staff position at IBM headquarters in Armonk, New York. He later served as Manager of Manufacturing Technical Services, overseeing quality, facilities, safety, manufacturing engineering, and chemical operations with worldwide responsibility.

In 1978, Ed transferred to IBM Manassas, where he served as Site Manufacturing, Quality, and UYS-I Product Assurance Manager until his retirement in 1990. Following retirement, he continued his professional service as a consultant to the U.S. Navy’s Signal Processing Program Management Office through AT&T.

Ed was also deeply engaged in public service and civic leadership. He served as Tioga County Chairman for Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s 1968 re-election campaign and was a member of the Board of the State University of New York at Binghamton from 1970 to 1975. He was a lifelong member of the NAACP, joining in 1959, and participated in the 1963 March on Washington. He also held leadership roles with the Jaycees and Prairie View A&M

University alumni organizations, including chairing the Prairie View Alumni Task Force that established the National Alumni Life Membership Program.

Committed to education throughout his life, Ed earned a Master’s degree in Taxation from Southeastern University and taught Federal and State Income Tax courses through IBM’s Voluntary Education Program. He later completed an Alternative Teacher Certification Program in Science and Mathematics at George Mason University in 1990.

Survivors: Edward C. Jones is survived by his children, Angela Denise DeHart, a graduate of The College of Wooster and a Family and Consumer Sciences educator with Arlington Public Schools, and the Rev. Thomas Edward Jones, a graduate of Prairie View A&M University and Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, and Pastor of First Baptist Church, Chilton, Texas.