Jesse H. Jones

Jesse Holman Jones ( born April 5, 1874 Robertson County, Tennessee, † June 1, 1956 in Houston, Texas) was an American entrepreneur, manager and politician ( Democratic Party).

Biography

Jones came from a humble background and received no secondary education, but began after attending the primary school as a laborer in the lumber business and founded in 1902, the South Texas Lumber Company. In 1908 he was co-owner of the Houston Chronicle. During the First World War, he was from 1917 to 1918 Director of the General Military Help the American Red Cross. In 1926 he became sole owner of the " Houston Chronicle ".

During the reign of the New Deal under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he was a member of the National Emergency Management Agency ( National Emergency Board) and was at the same time between 1933 and 1939 one of the directors of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC ), one of President Herbert C. Hoover founded in 1932, the independent federal agency for bank bailout and to support the economic recovery after the Great Depression. In 1936 he was also chairman of the board of the Export-Import Bank of the United States in Washington. In 1939 in addition his appointment as head of the Federal credit agency ( Federal Loan Agency).

On September 19, 1940 Jones was appointed by President Roosevelt as the successor to Harry Hopkins for Trade Minister ( Secretary of Commerce ) and belonged to the Roosevelt cabinet until March 1, 1945. By passed by Congress dispensation at the same time he remained until March 1945, Director of the RFC.

After leaving the government, he returned to Texas, where he served as publisher of the " Houston Chronicle " again. In 1951 his autobiography under the title "Fifty Billion Dollars ".