Melvin JONES

Melvin JONES Founder, Lions Clubs International — 1879 - 1961

Melvin Jones was born on 13th January 1879 at Fort Thomas in Arizona where his father was a captain in the American army. Melvin had no feeling for the military life. He was hired as an employee in an insurance company in which he became, 10 years later in 1913, the only owner.

First member, he then became secretary of the “ Business Circle ” of Chicago, an association where about two hundred leaders of commercial and industrial companies met. Individual interest of members was the objective of that association, and in jest, people pretend that his motto was expressed like this : “ scratch my back for me and I’ll scratch yours for you ”.

During the year 1916, Melvin Jones, at the age of 37 years old, was struck by the feeling that the activity of that “ Business Circle ” was vain and that the effort of its members could be fruitful if it aimed to serve the community without any interest.

Melvin Jones’ thought asserted itself in a decisive manner when he said : “ It seems to me that you can not go farther if you do not do something for somebody else ”.

This single but generous idea was the starting point of Lionism.

Appointed General Secretary of Lions Internationa for life, Melvin Jones died on 1^st June 1961 when he was 82 years old.