It is often the case that individuals from the small island of Dominica have gone on to achieve much distinction on the international stage. Sadly, the history of many of our notable Dominicans slips into oblivion, where little time is dedicated to ensuring that the written record is established. One such notable Dominican was the pioneer in medicine and medical education, Dr. Edward Sydney Jones, who was born in Marigot on or about August 1, 1895.
Edward Sydney Jones was the son of Edward Arthur Jones of Antigua, who relocated to Dominica in 1892, where he was the highest-ranking person of color in the Leeward Island Police Force. With the outbreak of World War I (1914-1918), he urged his son Edward Sydney Jones to join the British West Indian Regiment. Jones entered the British West Indian Regiment and served as a Sergeant under the overall command of General Allenby. He saw active duty battling Turkish forces of the Ottoman Empire in Egypt and Palestine. He was mentioned in dispatches and recommended for a commission. To that end, he was sent to the British Officer Training School in Cairo – the Imperial School of Instruction.
However, the war ended before Jones could graduate. The path that Dr. Jones took to get to medical school in Washington, D.C., was quite fascinating. Unable to gain access to the Dominica Grammar School in 1907 due to the social restrictions of the time, he started teaching at the Marigot Government School. After his army service, Jones left Dominica to attend Mico College in Jamaica. He traveled to the United States from Jamaica in 1920.
Dr. Jones attended Howard University from 1921 and was a 1929 graduate of Howard University Medical School, rising to the position of Professor of Orthopedic Surgery where he worked closely with Dr. Robert Gladden. He may well have been the first Dominican to graduate from medical school in Washington, D.C. It is noteworthy that his nephew, Dr. Sydney Jones, taught Obstetrics and Gynecology at Howard University from 1968-1988, and his grandnephew, Dr. Samuel J. Christian, graduated from Howard University Medical School in 1984.
Dr. Edward Sydney Jones of Dominica was the second African American certified as an orthopedic surgeon in the United States and worked with Dr. Robert Gladden to organize the Howard University Department of Orthopedic Surgery. He was the second person of African descent to be board-certified in orthopedic surgery in history.
Dr. Jones retired from teaching and private practice in 1969. He had also been a reserve surgeon for the US Public Health Service and a medical examiner during World War II at the Ft. Meyer Induction Station. He was also a retired Commander in the US Coast Guard Reserve.
Dr. Jones was a longtime member of the Board of Governors of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of the District of Columbia. He was a leading member of the National Medical Association, the Pasteur Reading Club, and the Brookland and Southwest Civic Associations. He belonged to the Omega Psi Phi and Chi Delta Mu fraternities.
His wife, the former H. Vada Ligon, who worked as a nurse at Freedman’s Hospital, died in 1970. He had one daughter, Mrs. Marie Jones-Oakley. By his professional excellence, Dr. Jones brought pride to the small Caribbean community in Washington, D.C., in that era prior to World War II. He gave support to the community of Marigot and made donations to the Dominica healthcare system. He also aided the medical career of his nephew, Dr. Sydney Jones.
Dr. Jones was the was uncle to notable agriculturist Edward Jones of Marigot Dominica, and former Education Minister HL Christian of Dominica. He is otherwise related to the Jones family of Marigot and the Christian family of Delices.
Dr. Edward Sydney Jones – Referenced in the National Medical Association Journal of Medicine, excerpts below.
NOTE:
Aside from researching the available record some of the information for this history was given to me by Dr. Jones’ nephew, retired Howard University OBGYN Professor Sydney Jones of Marigot, Dominica (Dominica Grammar School/DGS, 1947-1952 and University College Jamaica 1962). Some of Dr. Sydney Jones schoolmates at DGS
were Dr. Michael Garraway (father of eminent cancer research scientist Dr. Levi Garraway – seeRoche | Dr. Levi Garraway ) the late professor of Plant Pathology at Ohio State University, theologian Rev. Dr. William Watty relative of Susan Watty, and the late OBGYN on Dominica Dr Bernard Sorhaindo. Dr. Sydney Jones stressed to me that during his time at the Dominica Grammar School all the students had to be members of the Dominica Grammar School Cadet Corp which had been established in 1910. See here –http://www.dominicacadets.org.
Thanks for a meaningful and uplifting article. This outstanding and historically significant Son of our soil is very worthy of high acclaim and recognition in his homeland.
It took a lot of persistence and perseverance for a “Colored” natives of the Diaspora to reach such professional heights in early part of the 20th century and beyond. Heck, some might argue that is also the case today.
I have always been partial to Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Meharry College in Nashville for being beacons of hope and higher learning for our otherwise disenfranchised predecessors who were clearly not eagerly welcome in the traditional institutions of higher learning.
Hats off to all those who persevered and succeeded in spite of having limited options in terms of a choice of academic institutions based solely because of the color of their skin.
I totally support Lin Clown’s opinion.
We need to promote our own history so that our children and grandchildren worldwide can benefit from our legends.
As usual great intellectual article from
Gabriel.
Great Article!! Love it!!
Very good history article.
Thank you.
What you should do is open a center or library in Roseau of Dominican history .So people can go to this center or library to learn Dominican history.
I doubt that’s the real DNO clown.