Students, faculty and family gathered under Stubbs oak tree to honor the memory of the late history professor Horace Perry “H.P.” Jones with The Ides of March poetry reading.
Jeffrey Anderson, advisor of Phi Alpha Theta history honor society, said Jones started the poetry reading some time ago and that they miss him very much.
With English professor Mary Adams, Phi Alpha Theta decided to continue the traditional poetry reading and hopes the tradition will last well into the future.
Students, faculty and family members of Jones read and recited poems, surrounded by the odd trinkets and items that became associated with Jones over the years.
“The suit of armor was something that belonged to H.P. Jones, as with the boar’s head and the cat puzzle picture. He would bring them out whenever he had the poetry readings I think because he wanted it to look odd,” Anderson said.
Jones would often dress up in academic gowns and a cap with wigs.
“We brought out a few things, the blonde hair for the boar. Just seemed like it would look good that way. Sometimes he would put a Viking hat on it, my Viking hat was too heavy so I figured I’d just wear mine,” Anderson said.
While Jones’ youngest daughter passed out tootsie rolls from the famous prosthetic leg, Anderson displayed the official cobra and mongoose symbol of Phi Alpha Theta, completing the odd atmosphere.
Anderson said the symbol represents the serpent of wisdom throttling the mongoose of ignorance.
“It has deep symbolic meaning,” Anderson said.
Before the readings began, attendees traded stories and memories of Jones while the theme from “Rocky” played.
Andrew Price was Jones’ grad assistance when he first entered graduate school. He said this isn’t his first time attending the poetry reading. It’s his first time without Jones.
Price described Jones as everything rolled into one. He recalled Jones crying at the drop of a hat, even in the middle of class, if something moved him.
“It didn’t matter, he was so in touch with the human condition. There were some things that weren’t funny that just made him laugh because he just felt moved to laughter,” Price said.
Price also recalled Jones’ secret storage closet he kept in Stubbs, filled with odd items that allegedly no one knew he had access to.
“I feel that H.P. was almost like a walking human condition. If you talked to him, if you were around him enough it was like being in touch with something much bigger than yourself,” Price said.
Before the reading began, SGA advisor Laura Knotts announced the planned memorial trees to honor H.P. Jones and other late professors.
Bryson Belaire, a sophomore pre-pharmacy major, read a poem entitled “The Legacy of Trees.”
“I’ve never met Dr. Jones but I hear all these good stories about him and I know he was very well liked on campus and touched a lot of lives,” Belaire said.
Price said Jones was more interested in other people than himself, and never talked down to or about his students.
“I feel that that’s the takeaways that he was so interested in, inspiring students. He cared a lot about people. Even if he’s missed, we can still carry on what he did,” Price said.
Adams sent everyone off with the traditional farewell Jones was so fond of.
“All are worthy,” Adams said.
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