Friends, colleagues and admirers of Paul Jones, an art collector and University donor who passed away in January, celebrated his life at a memorial tribute to him on Wednesday at the Hotel Capstone.
The Black Faculty and Staff Association and the College of Arts and Sciences hosted the tribute, and the UA Afro-American Gospel Choir performed at the end of the memorial tribute.
Two pieces of art from the Paul Jones Collection of American Art sat on either side of the podium in front of the audience. Both were of Jones — one a charcoal and pastel portrait and the other a photograph.
Forgiveness was the word most people used to describe Jones, who donated thousands of pieces of artwork to the University before his death.
Bryan Fair, chairman of the Paul Jones Collection of American Art Advisory Board and a UA law professor, said forgiveness was one of the characteristics that made Jones a hero. Fair said Jones applied for admission to the UA School of Law in 1949 but was rejected based on his race. Jones forgave the University, later donating thousands of pieces of art to the University.
Samory Pruitt, UA vice president for community affairs, said Jones was a leader who showed other people how to forgive.
“Thank you for not only showing us the way, but for leading the way,” Pruitt said when mentioning what he might say to Jones if he were in the room.
Pruitt said his first impression of Paul Jones was when he saw Jones walking around the room at a conference in 2006.
“Before I was formally introduced to him, I knew it was probably Paul Jones,” Pruitt said.
Pruitt said Jones was compassionate, understanding and was able to put people at ease.
“You could tell Paul Jones was a cool guy,” Pruitt said.
Freddie Styles, an artist from Atlanta, said he met Jones in the late 1960s and quickly became friends with him.
Styles recalled one time when Jones bought six pieces of his best artwork. Styles said Jones paid substantially less for the art than Styles originally intended to sell it, but he didn’t feel robbed. Styles said he was actually grateful.
In addition, Styles said Jones was someone artists could call when they needed financial help. Styles said he never needed to call Jones for help, but he knew many artists who did.
“He was like overdraft,” Styles said.
Fair said Jones was generous and dedicated to the Paul Jones Collection of American Art and that toward at the end of his life, Jones was making plans for the future of the collection.
Robert Olin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said Jones was always excited to see art.
“He was like a kid in a candy store,” Olin said.
Fair said Jones used art to teach almost any subject, including math and history.
“He had a passion for giving, a passion for teaching,” Fair said.
Priscilla Davis, president of the Black Faculty and Staff Association and professor in the department of communicative disorders, said Jones was a mentor and everyone around him became his students. She said Jones showed people the world through his eyes.
Davis described Jones as a beautiful man who not only loved people, but also could see real beauty in the world.
“He showed us his world,” Davis said. “He showed us the beauty of this world.”
