Edward D. Jones
Encyclopedia
Edward D. Jones, Sr. was an investment banker born in St. Louis, Missouri
. He graduated from Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio
in 1913, then from New York University
in 1916.
After graduating from NYU, Jones was employed by N. W. Halsy & Company in New York, which sent him to Ohio to set up a brokerage house. In 1920, Jones then went to work for Blair & Company in St. Louis. Jones left Blair & Company over a dispute over his proceeds from a sale, and founded Edward D. Jones and Company in St. Louis in 1922. Jones handed over daily management responsibilities to his son Ted in 1968. Edward D. Jones died in 1982. The company that Edward Jones founded is called Edward Jones Investments
.
, Panama
and Bellefontaine
, Ed Jones headed east.
Edward Jones graduated from New York University
in 1916 and served two and a half years in the U.S. Navy during World War I
. He began his financial-services career as a bond salesman in New York City
with a single building, the Woolworth Building
, as his first territory.
Later, as a field representative for New York-based Blair & Co., Edward Jones returned to the Midwest. He eventually moved back to St. Louis and opened the first Edward D. Jones & Co. office in 1922. Two of the early mottos of Edward D. Jones & Co. were "The salesman comes first" and "The salesman is your partner."
While Americans invested at a frenzied pace in the middle and late 1920s, the illusion of easy money soon gave way to the realities of speculation, and the "Wall Street Crash" of October 1929. During the harsh times that followed, many firms closed their doors. People lost jobs, fortunes and hope, but Edward Jones was an optimist. Throughout his life, he relied on countless truisms to encourage his salespeople. He was known for saying things like, "Don't worry about your competitors or your expenses; you'll always have plenty of both."
In 1923, Edward Jones married Ursula Griesedieck. They had four children, Ann, David, who died as a child, Martha and Edward D. "Ted" Jones. His marriage to Ursula brought him more than marital responsibilities. The Griesedieck family owned breweries, and Ursula's branch of the family tree produced Stag Beer. Before the ratification of the 21st Amendment, repealing prohibition, Jones persuaded the family to take the company's stock public. When his father-in-law died around 1945, Jones was named president and chairman of the board of the company. He would divide his days, working at Edward D. Jones & Co. in the morning and at Griesedieck in the afternoon. He sold Stag Beer's assets in 1954.
Although Edward Jones turned over the management of the Edward D. Jones & Co. to his son, Ted, in 1968, he continued to be involved in the company on a daily basis. In fact, as had been his practice since founding the firm, Jones insisted on being the first person in the office every day until his death in 1982 at the age of 89. At that time, Edward D. Jones & Co. had grown to 495 branches in 33 states.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He graduated from Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003...
in 1913, then from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in 1916.
After graduating from NYU, Jones was employed by N. W. Halsy & Company in New York, which sent him to Ohio to set up a brokerage house. In 1920, Jones then went to work for Blair & Company in St. Louis. Jones left Blair & Company over a dispute over his proceeds from a sale, and founded Edward D. Jones and Company in St. Louis in 1922. Jones handed over daily management responsibilities to his son Ted in 1968. Edward D. Jones died in 1982. The company that Edward Jones founded is called Edward Jones Investments
Edward Jones Investments
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., since 1995 simplified as Edward Jones is a financial services firm headquartered in Des Peres, Missouri which serves investment clients in the United States and Canada, through its branch network of more than 12,000 locations. The firm focuses solely on individual...
.
Lengthened Summary of Life
Edward D. "Ed" Jones Sr. was born in St. Louis on July 29, 1893. His mother, Georgia, died shortly after his birth. His father, Eli, was a Janitor and worked in Central and South America. Jones lived with various family members for a large part of his childhood because his father was away working. The family moved often, and after spending his early years in ChattanoogaChattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Bellefontaine
Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003...
, Ed Jones headed east.
Edward Jones graduated from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in 1916 and served two and a half years in the U.S. Navy during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He began his financial-services career as a bond salesman in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with a single building, the Woolworth Building
Woolworth Building
The Woolworth Building is one of the oldest skyscrapers in New York City. More than a century after the start of its construction, it remains, at 57 stories, one of the fifty tallest buildings in the United States as well as one of the twenty tallest buildings in New York City...
, as his first territory.
Later, as a field representative for New York-based Blair & Co., Edward Jones returned to the Midwest. He eventually moved back to St. Louis and opened the first Edward D. Jones & Co. office in 1922. Two of the early mottos of Edward D. Jones & Co. were "The salesman comes first" and "The salesman is your partner."
While Americans invested at a frenzied pace in the middle and late 1920s, the illusion of easy money soon gave way to the realities of speculation, and the "Wall Street Crash" of October 1929. During the harsh times that followed, many firms closed their doors. People lost jobs, fortunes and hope, but Edward Jones was an optimist. Throughout his life, he relied on countless truisms to encourage his salespeople. He was known for saying things like, "Don't worry about your competitors or your expenses; you'll always have plenty of both."
In 1923, Edward Jones married Ursula Griesedieck. They had four children, Ann, David, who died as a child, Martha and Edward D. "Ted" Jones. His marriage to Ursula brought him more than marital responsibilities. The Griesedieck family owned breweries, and Ursula's branch of the family tree produced Stag Beer. Before the ratification of the 21st Amendment, repealing prohibition, Jones persuaded the family to take the company's stock public. When his father-in-law died around 1945, Jones was named president and chairman of the board of the company. He would divide his days, working at Edward D. Jones & Co. in the morning and at Griesedieck in the afternoon. He sold Stag Beer's assets in 1954.
Although Edward Jones turned over the management of the Edward D. Jones & Co. to his son, Ted, in 1968, he continued to be involved in the company on a daily basis. In fact, as had been his practice since founding the firm, Jones insisted on being the first person in the office every day until his death in 1982 at the age of 89. At that time, Edward D. Jones & Co. had grown to 495 branches in 33 states.