Shelley E. Jones passed away in May at the age of 85, leaving a shining legacy as a devoted teacher and principal, education advocate, and philanthropist.
Throughout her career, she distinguished herself in all she did. Jones focused on the well-being of her students, ensuring their education would provide opportunities for a lifetime. She has also been a faithful messenger for educational values in her community involvement and service.
A University of Kentucky elementary education graduate, Jones later earned her master’s in elementary education at The University of Alabama in 1966. She began teaching in the Tuscaloosa City School system after she and her husband Thomas, who was a UA Law School faculty member, moved to Tuscaloosa in 1962.
Jones devoted 34 years of her life to the public school system, first teaching at Northington Elementary then becoming principal of Woodland Forrest Elementary. There, she left a lasting impact by providing a nurturing environment for the children and fostering a lifelong love of learning with a myriad of extracurricular opportunities. She remained at Woodland Forrest for 20 years and was recognized by the Library of Congress as Alabama’s 1993 National Distinguished Principal before her retirement in 1995.
Following retirement, Jones became involved with the UA Honors College and was the first woman appointed to the Tuscaloosa City School Board, serving as board member for eight years with one year as chairman. In 2007, she was honored by the Community Foundation of West Alabama as its Pillar of the Community. Other honors of hers include being a 2010 Tuscaloosa County Civic Hall of Fame inductee, 2006 Tuscaloosa County Citizen of the Year, 1989 State PTA Outstanding Elementary Principal of the Year, Tombigbee Girl Scouts Outstanding Educator Award in 1990, among others. She is also a 2015 College of Education Hall of Fame inductee with the College’s Shelley & Tom Jones Endowed Scholarship established in honor of her and Thomas.
Jones served the community through numerous organizations, including the Community Foundation, Leadership Tuscaloosa, Leadership Alabama, the Board of Leadership Alabama as well as the Tuscaloosa City Schools Education Foundation Board, Hospice of West Alabama, the United Way of West Alabama, which she served as chairperson during the pandemic in 2020; and the Mayor’s Task Force for Pre-K Program Planning, to name a few. Jones was instrumental in founding Tuscaloosa Children’s Theatre, served on the board of CHOM, supported the Tuscaloosa Symphony and remained committed to serving Tuscaloosa by, most recently, working on the Leadership Team for the Capital Campaign for the Saban Center.