You are here: American University University Library Archives Finding Aids Roger W. Jones Papers

Back to top

VOLUME: 3 linear feet (6 boxes)

ACCESS: This collection is open to the public upon request.

COPYRIGHT: Please consult the archivist for information about duplication or publishing of any materials from this collection.

Biographical Note

Roger Warren Jones was born to Eleanor V. Jones and Roger H. Jones on February 3, 1908 in New Hartford, Connecticut. At the age of sixteen, he entered Cornell University, earning a bachelor’s degree in English in 1928. He completed a Masters degree in English and comparative literature at Columbia University in 1931. He married Dorothy Heyl on February 1, 1930 with whom he had three children: Cynthia, Roger H. and Edward C.

Mr. Jones began a long career in the Federal Government in 1933 with an appointment as the Assistant Executive Officer of the Central Statistics Board. In 1939, he became an Administrative Officer in the Bureau of the Budget. Roger Jones entered active military service in 1942 rejoining the staff of the Bureau of the Budget in 1945. In the same year, Jones was promoted to the position of Assistant Director of Bureau of the Budget.

In 1959, President Eisenhower nominated Jones for the position of Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, the predecessor of the Office of Personnel Management. In 1961, Jones became Deputy Under-Secretary for Administration in the Department of State. In 1962, he returned to the Bureau of the Budget, where he served as a Senior Consultant and Special Assistant to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget.

Jones retired in 1968, but at the request of members of Richard Nixon’s administration, returned to the Bureau of the Budget in 1969, where he assumed responsibilities for developing personnel policies. Additionally, in 1969, Jones served as an Executive in Residence and Teaching Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. From 1971 to 1975, Roger Jones performed various duties as a government consultant, and from 1973 to 1978 he served on the Board of Directors of the National Civil Service League.

Throughout his career, Jones gave speeches extolling the importance of public administration and the need to provide professional education for public managers. Jones was a prolific writer and contributed his seasoned viewpoints to several public service journals including the Public Administration Review, The Bureaucrat, Personnel Administration, and the Civil Service Journal.

Jones retired again in 1975 and moved back to New Hartford. Roger Jones died in 1993 at the age of 85.

Provenance

Roger H. Jones presented his father’s papers to Professor Howard E. McCurdy, Chair of the Department of Public Administration and Policy, on October 25, 2004, with the intent that they be placed in the American University archives. With the help of his graduate assistants, Professor McCurdy indexed some of the papers, prepared a biographical statement, and scanned eight of the most important speeches and articles. Dean William LeoGrande of the School of Public Affairs made arrangements for the library to accept the papers, which were delivered on February 27, 2008.

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Roger W. Jones consist of correspondence, interviews, Jones family history documents, news clippings, photographs, publications, and speeches.

Box & Folder Listing

Box 1

  • Correspondence, 1950 – 1963
  • Correspondence, 1964 – 1979
  • Interviews, 2/9/1960
    • A television appearance: “A History of the Federal Civil Service.” February 9, 1960.
  • Interviews, 2/17/1966
    • “Central Manpower Controls—Purposes and Techniques.” February 17, 1966.
  • Interviews, 1/31/1967, JFK Library (Original)
    • Oral History Interview with Jones at JFK Library. January 31, 1967
  • Interviews, 1/31/1967, JFK Library (Revised)
    • Oral History Interview with Jones at JFK Library. January 31, 1967
  • Interviews, 7/13/1967
    • “Eisenhower Administration Project.” Oral History Research Office, Columbia University, July 13, 1967
  • Interviews, 11/8/1876, Eisenhower Library
    • Oral History Interview with Jones at Eisenhower Library. November 8, 1976.
  • Jones Family History Documents

Box 2

  • Memorial Service for Roger W. Jones – Washington D.C., September 21, 1993
  • Miscellaneous
  • News Clippings, 1958 – 1989
  • Photographs, 1950 – 1965
  • Publications, 1954 – 1959
    • The American Bar Association Journal, vol. 40, no. 11, November 1954
    • First Annual President’s Awards for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service. Washington D.C.: U.S. Civil Service Commission, June 1958.
    • “Teaching in Washington County 1958 – 1959,” Washington County Closed-Circuit Educational Television Project – Progress Report. Hagerstown, Maryland: Board of Education, March 1959.
    • Speech of Roger W. Jones to Society for Personnel Administration: “Prophecy and Fulfillment in the Civil Service.” Washington D.C., May 21, 1959.
    • Personal Administration, Journal of the Society for Personnel Administration, July-August 1959
    • Jones, Roger W. “Why We Need A Federal Administrative Civilian Staff College Now,” Good Government, vol. 76, no. 6, (November-December 1959)
  • Publications, 3/1959
    • Key Officials, US Civil Service Commission
  • Publications, 3/13/1959
    • “‘I Have Made This Commission a Living Force,’ (Theodore Roosevelt and the Civil Service Commission),” US Civil Service Commission, March 13, 1959
  • Publications, 1960
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Administrator and the Professional Man” in Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers (May 1960)
    • Jones, Roger W. “Hit the Ground Running” Civil Service Journal, vol. 1, no. 1 (Washington D.C.: US Civil Service Commission, July – September 1960)
    • Proceedings of the Twenty-Fifth Convention, National Federation of Federal Employees. Hotel Edison, New York, NY, September 12, 1960.
    • “Maintaining the Integrity of the Career Civil Service,” Report submitted by the US Civil Service Commission for the use of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives (Washington D.C.: US Government Printing Office, September 12, 1960).
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Place of Appeals in the Federal Personnel System,” Civil Service Journal, vol. 1, no. 2 (Washington D.C.: US Civil Service Commission, October – November 1960)
  • Publications, 1961
    • Jones, Roger W. Research for Public Policy: Brookings Dedication Lectures. (Washington D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1961)
    • The George Washington University Federalist, vol. 8, no. 2 (Spring 1961)
    • Jones, Roger W. “Administrative Chief Outlines Goals.” Department of State News Letter, no. 2, June 1961.
  • Publications, 1962
    • Jones, Roger W. “Doctrine of the Energetic President” in The Federal Accountant, vol. 11, no. 4 (June 1962)
    • Otterbein College Commencement Program, June 4, 1962

Box 3

  • Publications, 1963
    • Public Personnel Review of the Journal of the Public Personnel Association, vol. 4, no. 1, January 1963.
    • Keynote Address to Society for Personnel Administration: “Personnel Administration – Problems and Prospects.” in The Society for Personnel Administration 1963 Annual Conference Summary. Washington D.C., May 23-24, 1963.
  • Publications, 1964
    • Jones, Roger W. “Management in Government: Opportunities and Responsibilities” in Management Views, vol. 9 (Fort Belvoir, VA: U.S. Army Management School, 1964)
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Merit System, Politics, and Political Maturity: A Federal View.” Public Personnel Review of the Journal of the Public Personnel Association, vol. 25, no. 1, January 1964.
    • Summary of the Conference on The Behavioral Sciences – Their Contribution to the Personnel and Training Function. Hagerstown, Maryland,March 19-20, 1964.
    • Jones, Roger W. “A Philosophy for the Public Executive” in NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) Official Bulletin, vol. 81 (April 1964)
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Model as a Decision Maker’s Dilemma” in Public Administration Review, vol. 24, no. 3 (September 1964)
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Future Administrator.” Report of the Conference on More Managerial Mileage: Optimum Performance with Minimum Wear and Tear, at the University of Hawaii, September 9-11, 1964
  • Publications, 1965 – 1966
    • Jones, Roger W. “Dear John Weaver.” Civil Service Journal, vol. 5, no. 4 (Washington D.C.: US Civil Service Commission, April – June 1965)
    • Weaver, John D. “Congress Hard at Work.” The George Washington Magazine, vol. 2, no. 2, Summer 1965.
    • “Rotation of Federal Civilian Employees from Overseas Posts,” Hearings before the Subcommittee on Manpower of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives, Washington D.C.: US Government Printing Office, August 11, 12, 17, 1965)
    • “Rotation from Overseas Posts of U.S. Civilian Citizens Employed by Defense Department,” Hearings before the Subcommittee on Manpower of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives, Washington D.C.: US Government Printing Office, October 1965)
  • Publications, 1967
    • Jones, Roger W. “Commentary on Adapting Government for Innovative Action” in Governing Urban Society (May 1967)
    • Jones, Roger W. “Developments in Government Manpower: A Federal Perspective” in Public Administration Review, vol. 27, no. 2 (June 1967)
    • The Work of the Steering Group on Evaluation of the Bureau of the Budget: A Staff Summary, July 1967.
  • Publications, 1968 – 1969
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Changing Role of the Federal Career Executive” in Civil Service Journal, vol. 8, no. 4 (April – June 1968)
    • Life Magazine: Special Issue – The Presidency, vol. 65, no. 1, July 5, 1968
    • Town Hall Performance at which Roger W. Jones was Guest Speaker, December 7, 1968.
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Changing Role of the Career Executive” in Federal Professional Association, vol. 2, no. 2 (January 1969)

Box 4

  • Publications, February 1970
    • “The Crisis in Public Employee Relations in the Decade of the Seventies,” Proceedings of a Seminar Conducted by The Public Employee Relations Center, Harbridge House, Inc., February 25-27, 1970.
  • Publications, 1970
    • Jones, Roger W. “What Will the 70’s Mean for Federal Government Employee Relations?” in Good Government, vol. 87, no. 1 (Spring 1970)
    • Jones, Roger W. “Progress Through the Executive” in Federal Bar Journal, vol. 29, no. 4 (Fall 1970)
  • Publications, 1971
    • Fifty United States Civil Service Commissioners: Biographical Sketch, Biographical Sources, Writings. Washington D.C.: U.S. Civil Service Commission, 1971.
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Career Executive and the New Federalism,” in Civil Service Journal, vol. 12, no. 2 (October – December 1971)
  • Publications, 1973 – 1974
    • Jones, Roger W. “American Society of Public Administration’s Symposium on Labor-Management Relations in the Federal Government.” The Bureaucrat, vol. 2 (Washington D.C.: The Bureaucrat Inc., 1973)
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Career Executive and the Institutional Presidency.” Address presented at the Executive Development Days Conference, The Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia, December 3,1973.
    • Biography of an Ideal: A History of the Federal Civil Service. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1974.
  • Publications, 1975
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Executive’s Responsibility to Himself” in Ethics, Leadership, and Interdependence (June 1975)
    • Jones, Roger W. “The Future and Its Impact on Management and the Executive” in The Bureaucrat, vol. 4, no. 2 (July 1975)
  • Publications, 1988
    • Doty, Edward. Families of the Pilgrims. Boston, Mass.: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1988.
  • Publications, n.d.
    • Federal Bar Association Annual Meeting Transcript, “Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary.”

Box 5

  • Speeches, 3/25/1952 – 9/5/1957
    • Location unknown: “Legislative Authorizations and Their Relationship to Budgeting.” March 25, 1952.
    • “The Role of the Bureau of the Budget in the Federal Legislative Process” in American Bar Association Journal (November 1954)
    • Speech before Industrial College of the Armed Forces: “Administration in the Federal Government.” August 25, 1955.
    • Remarks at the Staff Orientation Conference: “The Budget Bureau Staff Member.” September 15, 1955.
    • Speech before Industrial College of the Armed Forces: “Administration in the Federal Government.” August 23, 1956.
    • Remarks before Government Seminar 285 led by William Y. Elliot. October 8, 1956.
    • Speeches before Industrial College of the Armed Forces:
      • “Emerging Administrative Problems in the Federal Government.” September 5, 1957.
      • “Administration in the Federal Government II.” September 5, 1957.
  • Speeches, 6/15/1958 – 5/21/1959
    • Speech before the Brookings Institution Conferences for Executives in the Federal Service: “Working in a Democracy.” Williamsburg, Virginia, June 15, 1958. Also given at the Middle Management Institute, January 11, 1960.
    • Speech to the Industrial College of Armed Forces. September 15, 1958.
    • Speech before Brookings Institution’s Conference on Strengthening Executive Leadership: “Goals for Personnel Administration at the Executive Level.” Williamsburg, Virginia, March 15, 1959.
    • Address at National Conference of the American Society for Public Administration: “Why Have Career Executives?” Washington, D.C., April 4, 1959
    • Address at the Conference in Scientific Manpower sponsored by the Civil Service Commission and the Office of Naval Research, at the Presidential Arms, Washington D.C., April 29, 1959.
    • Speech to the Pi Sigma Alpha Fraternity (Political Science): “Opportunities in the Federal Service.” University of Maryland, May 8, 1959.
    • Speech to Annual Conference of the Society for Personnel Administration: “Civil Service in a Changing World.” Statler Hotel, Washington D.C., May 21, 1959.
  • Speeches, 6/18/1959 – 5/16/1960
    • Speech to graduating class of the Gilbert School: “Understand the Past!” Winsted, Connecticut, June 18, 1959.
    • Speech at a Meeting sponsored by the Connecticut Merit System Association: “What Civil Service Means to the Businessman.” New Haven, Connecticut, June 19, 1959.
    • Sermon to the Church of the Epiphany: “The Spiritual Roots of American Democracy.” Washington, D.C., December 18, 1959.
    • Address to the Graduating Class of Apprentices, Langley Research Center: “Understand the Past!” Langley Field, Virginia, February 26, 1960.
    • Speech at the Annual Spring Dinner and Dance of the Patent Office Society: “Working in a Democracy.” National Press Club, Washington D.C., April 9, 1960.
    • Speech to the American Society of Naval Engineers: “The Administrator and the Professional Man.” Statler-Hilton Hotel, Washington D.C., April 29, 1960
    • Speech to Conference on Management Methods, Farmers Home Administration, USDA: “Personnel Requirements in the Present Day Civil Service.” May 6, 1960.
    • 12-Minute Speech at the SPA Conference: “Why We Should Have an Administrative Staff College.” May 16, 1960.
  • Speeches, 6/1/1960 – 11/16/1960
    • Speech to Graduation Class of Regional School District No. 7 (Winsted Connecticut). June 24, 1960.
    • Address to Annual Conference of the Society for Personnel Administration: “What is the Leadership Role of the Personnel Officer?” .” Statler-Hilton Hotel, Washington D.C., June 3, 1960.
    • 12-Minute Speech at the SPA Conference: “Why We Should Have an Administrative Staff College.” June 3, 1960.
    • Address at Annual Meeting of Fort Worth Federal Business Association: “What is a Civil Servant of the Year?” Fort Worth, Texas, June 14, 1960.
    • Speech at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association: “The Government Lawyer Today.” Mayflower Hotel, Washington D.C., August 30, 1960.
    • Speech at the Biennial Convention of the American Federation of Government Employees: “Classification Standards for Federal Jobs.” Cincinnati, Ohio, September 1, 1960.
    • Address to National Federation of Federal Employees Convention: “The Place of Appeals in the Federal Personnel System.” New York City, September 12, 1960.
    • Panelist Speech at the Brookings Institution Dedication Ceremony, November 16, 1960.
  • Speeches, 11/17/1960 – 5/25/1961
    • Speech to State Department: Outline for Speech to State Department on “Management Development – Needs, Trends, Methods.” Front Royal, Virginia, November 17, 1960.
    • Sermon to the Church of the Epiphany: “Democracy and Personal Responsibility.” Washington D.C., December 2, 1960.
    • Speech to Graduating Class of the 22nd Mid-Career Course on Foreign Affairs at the Foreign Service Institute: “Commencement Address.” March 24, 1961.
    • Speech at the Church of the Epiphany: “Working in a Democracy.” Washington D.C., April 3, 1961.
    • Speech to Department of State Foreign Policy Briefing Conference for Broadcasters in Public Affair: “The Role and Organization of the Foreign Service.” April 3-4th, 1961.
    • Remarks before US Committee for Refugees’ Annual Meeting. 1776 Pennsylvania Ave, Conference Suite, Washington D.C., May 25, 1961.
  • Speeches, 10/1/1961 – 10/26/1961
    • Speech to the Foreign Policy Association: “What is the Department of State?” Hartford, Connecticut, October 1, 1961.
    • Address given at St. John’s Church: “Democracy and Personal Responsibility.” North Adams, Massachusetts, October 8, 1961.
    • Speech before American Foreign Service Association: “Administration and the State Department.” October 26, 1961.
  • Speeches, 1/24/1962 – 3/8/1962
    • Speech before DC Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration: “A Civil Servant Looks Overseas.” January 24, 1962.
    • Commencement Address to the Graduating Class of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs School at Fort Gordon, GA. March 2, 1962.
    • Speech at 7th Annual DACOR Lecture Series: “New Foundations in Old State.” March 8, 1962.
  • Speeches, 6/4/1962 – 11/2/1962
    • Commencement Speech at Otterbein College: “Working in a Democracy.” Westerville, Ohio, June 4, 1962.
    • Speech before Conference for Federal Management and Program Executives: “A Philosophy for the Public Executive.” Williamsburg, Virginia, November 2, 1962.
  • Speeches, 5/23/1963 – 10/24/1963
    • Keynote Address to Society for Personnel Administration: “Personnel Administration – Problems and Prospects.” Washington D.C., May 23, 1963
    • Discussion at the Executive Development Program at Cornell University: “Business Management and Government: Opportunities and Responsibilities.” July 31, 1963
    • Speech at the Annual Meeting of the Public Personnel Association: “The Merit System, Politics, and Political Maturity: A Federal View.” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 24, 1963.

Box 6

  • Speeches, 2/11/1964 – 9/9/1964
    • Speech before the Career Conference on Government Service at Columbia University: “Federal Civilian Careers.” February 11, 1964.
    • Speech at ASPA Luncheon Meeting: “The Hatch Act—Millstone or Milestone?” March 18, 1964.
    • Speech at the Annual Institute of the American Society for Public Administration: “Quality and/or Equality in the Public Service.” Albany, New York, May 12, 1964.
    • Speeches before the Seventh Management Conference for Public Administrators:
      • “The Future Administrator.” Honolulu, Hawaii, September 9, 1964.
      • “The Public Administrator – Development of a personal Management Philosophy.” Honolulu, Hawaii, September 9, 1964.
  • Speeches, 6/2/1965 – 11/1/1965
    • Speech at the Annual Meeting of the Naval Civilian Administrators Association, Washington D.C., June 2, 1965.
    • Speech before the Subcommittee on Manpower, House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, on Rotation of American Citizens Employed by the Department of the Air Force in Foreign Areas. August 11, 1965.
    • Speech before the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service of the US Senate relating to Adjustments in Annuities under the Civil Service Retirement Act. August 12, 1965.
    • Speech before the Seminar for Federal Executives on the Management of Human Resources: “A Philosophy for the Public Executive.” Dallas, Texas, October 8, 1965.
    • Summary of Discussion held with the Defense Management Systems Course, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School: “Planning – Programming – Budgeting System and Manpower.” Monterey California, November 1, 1965.
  • Speeches, 3/31/1966 – 9/12/1966
    • Speech at the Valley-Wide Cooperative Conference, Tennessee Valley Authority: “The President’s Cost Reduction Program.” Gatlinburg, Tennessee, March 31, 1966.
    • Notes for speech to NIPA: “Responsibility of the National Government in the Emerging Federal System.” September 12, 1966.
  • Speeches, 1/23/1967 – 11/16/1968, Correspondence re: “The Changing Role”
    • Speech at the Executive Seminar Center, U.S. Civil Service Commission: “Management in the Public Service.” Berkeley, California, January 23, 1967.
    • Location Unknown: “The Changing Role of the Federal Administration.” May 3, 1967.
    • Speech at the Civilian Personnel Directors Conference, Department of the Army: “Budget Outlook – FY 1969.” Washington D.C., January 31, 1968.
    • Speech at the Annual Meeting of the Washington Music Teachers’ Association: “Education and the Federal Budget.” November 16, 1968.
  • Speeches, 4/17/1969 – 11/13/1969
    • Notes for Remarks on “Federal Labor – Management Relations in a Crystal Ball,” April 17, 1969.
    • Notes from Speech at annual meeting of OPEDA: “What is Ahead for Professional Employees During our Changing Times.” University of Maryland. April 21, 1969.
    • Speech before the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service of the US Senate. Washington D.C., April 29, 1969.
    • Speech at the 15th Biennial Personnel Management Conference in San Francisco, California: “Can We Manage Change?” November 13, 1969.
  • Speeches, 2/27/1970 – 5/5/1970
    • Remarks at the Airlie House Seminar of Harbridge House: “The Crisis in Public Employee Relations in the Decade of the ‘70s.” February 27, 1970.
    • Speech to NM Chapter of American Society for Public Administration: “What is the New Federalism?” March 10, 1970.
    • Speech to Atlanta Federal Executive Board Seminar in Pine Mountain, GA: “How Do We Manage Change?” May 3, 1970
    • Speech to Assembly of Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC: “What is the New Federalism?” May 5, 1970.
  • Speeches, 6/12/1970 – 9/15/1970
    • Speech at the Executive Seminar Center, King’s Point, New York: “How do We Manage Change?” June 12, 1970.
    • Speech at Assembly Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Federal Bar Association: “Progress through the Executive.” September 15, 1970.
  • Speeches, 6/15/1971 – 2/28/1975
    • Summary of Remarks at the Executive Seminar Center, Kings Point, New York: “The Career Executive and the New Federalism.” June 15, 1971.
    • Remarks before Federal Executives Development Group: “The Future and Its Impact on Management and the Executive.” February 12, 1975.
    • Remarks to the Seminar for Top Managers at the Federal Executive Institute: “The Executive’s Responsibility to Himself.” Charlottesville, VA, February 28, 1975.
  • Speeches, Not Dated
    • Location unknown: “Critical Problems Facing the Career Service.” n.d.
    • “Management Effectiveness in Government.” n.d.
    • Location unknown: “Persistent Problems of Personnel Administration.” n.d.
  • Speeches, Notes
    • Panelist Speech at the Brookings Institution Dedication Ceremony: “Social Science Research on Government, Politics, and Administration.” November 16, 1960.
    • Speech at George Washington University: “Our National Purpose: Religion in Life Week.” November 22, 1960.
    • “Role of the Bureaucracy in the American System.”
    • “A Long Range Look at Federal Organization.”
    • Baltimore Speech on March 25, 1964
  • Speeches, Lists