Jones, Cornell

In 1973 Cornell Jones became the first African American elected to the Mayfield, KY City Council and the first African American Councilman in Graves County, KY. He was re-elected to a third term in 1977. He was also a former president of the Mayfield NAACP Branch.

Jones was a World War II Army veteran. Born in Paris, TN, he was the son of Velma L. Jones Blythe and James Provine.

For more see "Mayor, 45 councilmen are black city officials," in 1978 Kentucky Directory of Black Elected Officials, Fifth Report by the Commission on Human Rights, p. 2; Papers of the NAACP, Selected Branch Files, 1956-1965: Series A: The South, Jones, Cornell 7:0035; and an oil painting of Cornell Jones by Helen LaFrance at www.mutualart.com.