Tennessee’s Renaissance Man Charles Jones ‘Redefined the American Dream in Tennessee’

The Story of Charles Robert Jones: A Life of Purpose

In the depths of the Great Depression, on a humble tenant farm in Gainesboro, Tennessee, Charles Robert Jones entered the world on June 21, 1930. His arrival coincided with one of America’s most challenging periods – a time that would shape not only his character but his understanding of resilience and opportunity.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933, with the nation’s economy at its lowest point, the Jones family made the pivotal decision to move to Nashville. These early years in north Nashville, followed by their relocation to Old Jefferson in 1936, would prove foundational in young Charles’s development. The fork of Stones River became his playground, where hunting and fishing weren’t merely pastimes but lessons in self-reliance. The local General store served as his first classroom in human nature, where the stories and wisdom shared by its patrons would echo throughout his life.

”Mike, I recall traveling down Jefferson Pike before Sewart Air Force Base was constructed” Charles Jones

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World War II brought another significant change when the family relocated to Brunswick, Georgia in 1942. Here, teenage Charles found himself part of history, working as a messenger in the JA Jones Shipyard, delivering blueprints for the legendary Liberty ships that would help win the war. This experience gave him his first taste of contributing to something larger than himself.

After returning to Nashville in 1946, Charles’s path took an unconventional turn. Despite leaving East Nashville High School in the 10th grade, his drive for success never wavered.

He found work at the Avco Corporation’s press room and in construction, laying the groundwork for his future business acumen. His move to Detroit in 1949 and subsequent enlistment in the Army in 1951 showed a young man seeking his place in the world.

During his service as a Medical corpsman and Psychiatric Assistant in the Korean War, Charles found more than duty – he found love. His courtship of Maryetta, marked by over 400 heartfelt letters, revealed the romantic soul beneath the soldier’s uniform. Their marriage would become the foundation for his future successes.

Post-war, Charles defied expectations by pursuing higher education. At David Lipscomb University, he earned his B.A. in History and Speech, later adding a Master’s Degree from Western Michigan University. While building his academic credentials, he served as both a preacher and substitute teacher, demonstrating his natural ability to lead and inspire.

The year 1965 marked a turning point when Charles took what was meant to be a one-year detour into business. His leadership abilities and natural business acumen turned that temporary shift into a lifetime of entrepreneurial success. His creation of Professional Economic Services in 1970 revolutionized membership benefits for educators nationwide, eventually expanding to serve major corporations and military associations.

In his later years, Charles returned to his Tennessee roots, but with a new mission. He became a preservationist of history, rescuing and repurposing iconic properties like the St. Bernard’s Convent Building and the Werthan Bag Factory. His work with the Historic Milky Way Farm helped save a piece of Tennessee’s cultural heritage.

But perhaps Charles Robert Jones’s greatest legacy isn’t in the buildings he saved or the businesses he built, but in the lives he touched. As a mentor, counselor, and humanitarian, he demonstrated that true success isn’t measured in dollars but in impact. His recognition by State Rep. Mike Sparks celebrated not just his achievements but his embodiment of the “Volunteer Spirit” that defines Tennessee’s finest citizens.

From a depression-era farm to the heights of business success, from a high school dropout to a respected educator and entrepreneur, Charles Robert Jones’s journey embodies the American dream. More than that, it shows how that dream, when realized with purpose and compassion, can lift up not just one person but an entire community. His story reminds us that our greatest achievements often come not from what we build for ourselves, but what we build for others.