John Rufus Jones was born in Stokes County, North Carolina, on August 16, 1882. Jones was an attorney in North Wilkesboro (Wilkes County). In 1916, he was elected chairman of the Wilkes County Republican Party, a position he held for several decades. During World War I, he served as chairman of the local chapter of the American Red Cross. From 1926 to 1938, he served as solicitor for North Carolina’s 17th judicial district. Jones died on January 15, 1958, after being struck by a car while vacationing in Hot Springs, Arkansas.