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Jones, former WVSOM president, remembered as ‘humble servant,’ visionary leader
Jones, former WVSOM president, remembered as ‘humble servant,’ visionary leader
One of the most beloved figures from WVSOM’s history, Olen E. Jones Jr., Ph.D., passed away Jan. 31 at the age of 85.
As WVSOM’s fourth president, Jones led the school from 1987 to 2009, making him the longest-serving president in its history. He helped guide WVSOM through an era of prosperity thanks to his 10-year master plan that outlined a path for immense growth.
During Jones’ time leading WVSOM, the school was brought under West Virginia’s Board of Trustees as a unit of the state’s university system. WVSOM’s class size increased dramatically, and several new campus buildings were constructed, including the Fredric W. Smith Science Building, the Roland P. Sharp Alumni Conference Center, the Founders Activity Center, the Admissions Center, the Center for Technology and Rural Medicine and the Clinical Evaluation Center. Jones also led the charge to construct a building to house the Robert C. Byrd Clinic.
James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s current president, was a faculty member and administrator during Jones’ presidency. He remembered Jones as a trailblazer who helped safeguard the school’s future.
“Dr. Jones is one of the giants on whose shoulders we stand. Quite frankly, I do not believe WVSOM would be here today if it wasn’t for him,” Nemitz said. “He secured the school’s place as a state institution and provided for its financial security. Under his leadership, WVSOM saw significant growth in students, employees, buildings and funds and was established as a national leader in osteopathic medical education. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Dr. Jones.”
Bob Foster, D.O., WVSOM’s assistant dean for osteopathic medical education, noted that in addition to advancing the school’s physical facilities, Jones helped improve its financial well-being, positioning the school for sustained growth for years to come.
“Dr. Jones made WVSOM one of the most financially prepared higher education institutions in West Virginia,” Foster said. “He not only turned an aging former military school into a beautiful campus, but helped make it a cutting-edge medical school to train rural primary care physicians. That was WVSOM’s mission since its inception; Dr. Jones just made it complete. He and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but he was a great president who took the school from hard times to being No. 1 in the state in many areas.”
Jones earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., and a Ph.D. degree in education administration from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., before setting out on a career that would include top positions at multiple higher education institutions in West Virginia. Before joining WVSOM, he served in various leadership roles at Marshall University, including dean of students, provost and executive vice president.
Jones’ wife of 65 years, Patty Barber Jones, of Lewisburg, described him as a man of uncommon foresight and attributed his success to his determination to see projects through to the end. When Jones set his mind on a goal, nothing could stop him.
“Beyond the nitty-gritty work of getting something accomplished, he had a vision that a lot of people don’t have. He could see what needed to happen and how to get there,” Patty said. “Whatever he did, it became his mission. It was always total commitment, whether you’re talking about his professional life or his personal life.”
Patty recalled her husband’s decision to accept the job as WVSOM’s top administrator — and her own role in his decision. Jones, who had previously served as acting president of the school in 1980-81 while the West Virginia Board of Regents sought stable leadership at WVSOM, was asked to take on the position on an official basis.
“Olen was always looking for things that challenged him in a new way. They came to him and said, ‘The school is in trouble and we don’t know if it’s going to close or continue. Why don’t you become president and let’s see what we can do?’ I knew nothing about osteopathic medicine, but I was raised in rural Nicholas County and I had experienced a lack of rural medicine all my life. I started reading about WVSOM’s history, and I realized the school was trying to save places like Nicholas County. So I said, ‘This school is what West Virginia needs.’”
In 1996, Jones won the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s Dale Dodson Award, which acknowledges top administrators at osteopathic schools for their contributions to the advancement of osteopathic medical education. Other awards Jones received include a “50 Most Powerful People in West Virginia” designation from West Virginia Executive magazine and recognition as Business Leader of the Year by the Greater Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce.
In an interview that appears in a 1998 edition of a WVSOM publication called Appalachian Focus, Jones summarized his intentions for the school — goals he would ultimately help the institution meet and exceed.
“When the name WVSOM is mentioned, I hope quality will be the immediate association. As president, I will establish the standards which will become the basis for that quality, for excellence,” he said. “I think there is already a nucleus of fine staff, faculty and certainly students here, and there is a history of quality within these elements. It is this community, the institution itself, that is making a tremendous impact on health care delivery within the state of West Virginia and the various Appalachian states that we serve.”
About a year before retiring from WVSOM, Jones was honored by the West Virginia Senate with a resolution recognizing his dedication and service in the fields of medicine and science. Patty said her husband was moved by the honor and that she believes his contributions to the state live on today.
“It’s obvious that he saved the school; he helped take it from 35 students per class to 200 students per class, made it one of the top medical schools in the country, and left it in excellent shape financially. But I think he did more than that: He saved rural health care in West Virginia,” she said.
Announcing his decision to retire, Jones looked back at his more than two decades with the school with great affection and gratitude for those he worked with.
“It has been a great ride. I’ve enjoyed it all, and I appreciate the efforts of the talented team I’ve worked with over the years at WVSOM,” he said at the time.
Jones’ legacy at WVSOM includes two merit scholarships established in his name: the West Virginia Emulation Endowment Trust/Dr. Olen E. Jones Jr. Scholarship, awarded to West Virginia students based on literary and scholastic attainments, morality and leadership, and the Olen E. Jones Jr. and WVSOM Foundation Academic Achievement Award, given to a student graduating in the top 10 percent of the class.
Heather Ratliff, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 2004 alumna who also served as a faculty member during Jones’ presidential tenure, praised his ability to selflessly bring out the best in those around him.
“He was the epitome of a humble servant,” Ratliff said. “He expressed enormous, sincere praise to others for their work without ever tooting his own horn, and he made students — including me — believe they could accomplish anything. His smile, like his kindness, truly made the world a better place.”
David Nicholas, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 1993 graduate and past president of the WVSOM Alumni Association, worked with Jones while serving as chair of the school’s Board of Governors. He called Jones “a true gentleman” and said his efforts extended far beyond helping WVSOM achieve its goals.
“Dr. Jones was always kind, professional, and cared deeply about WVSOM and its mission. He set the wheels in motion for the development of the beautiful campus we have today, and he worked tirelessly with West Virginia’s governors and legislators promoting not only WVSOM, but health care throughout the state and Appalachia,” Nicholas said.
Patty Barber Jones
“I worked under Dr. Jones’ leadership for 21 years. He was a visionary, a leader and a wonderful friend. He made his vision for WVSOM a reality. He was always encouraging to staff and students. Words cannot express his impact on WVSOM and on West Virginia.” - Sharon Howard, retired WVSOM director of financial aid
“When I joined WVSOM’s faculty 30 years ago, the faculty thought 80 students per class was perfect and we saw no reason to change. However, President Jones had a vision of both the financial realities and the greater impact WVSOM could have, and he led planning for the expansion to an entering class size of about 200. WVSOM’s current outcomes data proves the wisdom of his leadership.” - Helen Baker, Ph.D., MBA, WVSOM professor emeritus
“Dr. Jones was one in a million and will be missed by many. His welcoming, dimpled smile greeted those who walked down the main hallway every morning and afternoon. A legendary billiards master, he enjoyed challenges by students; one group even made him a bedazzled cue stick to keep in his office. He loved it. We loved him dearly.” - Cindi Knight, WVSOM director of retail operations
“I had the privilege of working with Dr. Jones for more than 20 years. He was a gentleman, a leader and most importantly my friend. WVSOM flourished year after year under his leadership, and he worked tirelessly to save the school from closure or merger. He truly loved WVSOM.” - Cheryl Baker, retired WVSOM executive assistant to the president
“I consider myself fortunate to have known and worked with Dr. Jones. As an educational administrator, he was a giant. He was a great steward of resources. His most defining quality was his genuine and full support of WVSOM’s students. His absence is a loss to our school family and the osteopathic community.” - Andy Gammill, D.O., WVSOM Class of 2003
“Dr. Jones was a fine statesman who successfully led and developed WVSOM. His vision and leadership certainly helped shape our institution and inspired our growth. Dr. Jones and his mentorship of countless students, faculty and staff will continue to impact the WVSOM community.” - Andrea Nazar, D.O., WVSOM Department of Clinical Sciences chair
“Olen was excellent at evaluating an individual’s abilities and strengths and placing them in the best position to get the job done. To me, his greatest accomplishment was keeping the school open when administrators from another state medical school and state politicians were attempting to either close WVSOM or absorb it within another institution. He, with help from others, lobbied and educated the two groups and West Virginia’s citizens about what WVSOM was accomplishing. His efforts resulted in the school remaining open and continuing to perform and expand.” - John Mooney, retired WVSOM director of human resources
“Dr. Jones was a great leader, having led WVSOM through turbulent and trying times as well as prosperous times of class expansion and new campus buildings. He was a firm leader, yet he remained approachable to staff. His smile was infectious. When I think of Dr. Jones, a couple of words come to mind: ‘genuine’ and ‘integrity.’” - Barbara Sanders, WVSOM supervisor of lab animal resources
