Henrico Black History Month Spotlight – Mary Thelma Melton Jones
In honor of February as Black History Month, the Henrico Citizen will spotlight (on each weekday during the month) an important current or former Black resident of Henrico whose life has helped shape the county.
Mary Thelma Melton Jones, a pioneering educator who helped guide Henrico County Public Schools through segregation and desegregation, left an enduring mark on generations of students and teachers during a career that extended through parts of five decades.
Born Dec. 30, 1911, in Henrico’s Brookland District, Jones was one of four children of Ira V. Melton and Adeline (or Adelaide) Melton. She grew up on her parents’ farm near Glen Allen, where education was emphasized at home. Her father worked as a porter at the local railroad station, and her mother was employed at a nearby elementary school — examples that shaped Jones’ commitment to learning.
Jones graduated from Virginia Union University, earned a master’s degree from Columbia University, and completed graduate studies at New York University and Rutgers University.
She began her teaching career in Louisa, Hanover, and Suffolk counties before returning to Henrico in 1934 to teach at Virginia Randolph High School, where she remained for two decades. In 1954, Jones was appointed principal of the segregated Vandervall Elementary School in the West End, a position that placed her among the county’s most influential African-American educators during a period of profound social change.
Following desegregation in Henrico County Public Schools, Jones became assistant principal at Central Gardens Elementary School, then made history in 1969 when she became the school’s principal and the first Black woman to serve in such a role in the county’s desegregated school system. She retired in 1974.
Throughout her career, Jones remained active in professional and civic organizations, including the National Education Association, the Virginia Education Association, and the NAACP.
She was married to Newton Franklin Jones, and the couple had at least one child. Mary Thelma Melton Jones died on Oct. 15, 1994 and is buried in the Jones Family Cemetery in Glen Allen.
