Portland Observar Thursday. February 8,1979 Paga 3
Behind the wall
Larry Baker »35021,
O.S.P. Correspondent
B.
Julius D. Snowden »38013
Poetry Editor
SH O P
IENOWS
A nd 1 w ill bring the blind by the wa,
they know not.
7 w ill lead them in a path that they
have not known.
I w ill muke darkness light before
them,
A nd crooked things straight.
These things / w ill try to do unto
them,
But most o f all, I w ill not forsake
them.
FOR
B R A N D S you k n o w
V A R IE TIES yOU liho
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(An African Warrior)
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Parol« Board member Chalmers Jones teaches Black History class at O.S.P.
school education in that same town.
He then entered Southern University
at Baton Rouge in 1942, majoring in
auto mechanics, but later changing
to business administration. Jones re
ceived a bachelor o f science degree in
1948.
Jones tried his hand as a radio an
nouncer in Baton Rouge fo r six
years. In 1955 he moved to Portland,
where he became employed with the
Department o f Employment. In 1965
Jones became coordinator fo r all
training programs in youth oppor
tunity in the Portland area. During
this tim e Jones attended N o rth
western College o f Law at Lewis and
Clark. Among Jones’ other achieve
ments is his election as president o f
the Oregon State Employees
Association for three terms. He is the
only person ever to hold that
position for three terms.
Governor Mark Hatfield appoint
ed Chalmers L. Jones to his Personnel
Advisory Committee for the State
Civil Service Commission. In 1969
Portland Mayor Terry D. Schrunk
appointed Jones to a position with
the Portland Metropolitan Steering
Committee, Model Cities, and the
M a yo r’ s Task Force fo r Local
Development.
In 1972 Jones was elected to the
Board o f Directors, Oregon Blue
Cross.
No matter how many appoint
ments Jones received as he advanced
through the ranks o f State govern
ment, he could always be found
during his free time working among
Black youth in the Black community.
This is something many other Black
leaders have claimed to be doing but
never did.
In 1973 Governor Tom McCall,
recognizing Chalmers L. Jones’ talent
in working among people with civil
and social problem s, appointed
Jones to the office o f Ombudsman
for the State o f Oregon and also the
Health Facilities Cost Review Com
mission and the State Health Com
mission.
found life unpleasant, Chalmers L.
Jones has risen to a height o f accom
plishment without losing the respect
and trust o f those less fortunate than
himself.
M artin Luther King once said, “ In
order to bring my people mentally to
be proud o f their heritage, we who
become their leaders must not climb
the ladder so high that we can never
descend among them without fear o f
soiling our own image.”
Chalmers L. Jones is why unpub
licized history was made in the back
room inside the walls o f O.S.P. in
Salem. He’ s not through yet.
"A n d I w ill bring the blind by the
way they know not.
I w ill lead them in a path that they
have not known
It was in 1974 that Jones received
an appointment to the Oregon State
Parole Board (present job) o f which
he served as chairman 1975-76.
Walking tall among Black people
in a state where manv Blacks have
worth, has recently been remodeled. It is available to
community groups.
PCC Cascade reopens gym
gymnasium can often find impromptu
vo lle yb a ll and basketball games
going on, sometimes with students
and at other times with members o f
QUOTEN IN ABVANCE
★
“ fm m e d io lF ’’-
munity College's Cascade Canter, 706 N. Killings-
The newly remodeled gymnasium
at Portland Com m unity College’ s
Cascade Center, 705 N. Killingsworth
is “ second to none in this area o f
to w n ,” declares Cascade Center
manager James Van Dyke.
The gymnasium is a fam iliar site in
North Portland, but passersby may
not realize that the building has un
dergone extensive renovation to its
shower and locker rooms, weight
room and exercise room. The floor is
also in top condition, notes Van
Dyke.
In many o f the daytim e and
evening hours, the gymnasium
facilities are used by students in PCC
classes. However, visitors to the
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Chalmers L. Jones is his name — a
Black Man.
A man who refused to forget who
he is and what he is; no matter how
high the steps o f government carry
him.
Chalmers L. Jones is a leader
among Black people in Oregon.
Just a few days ago a couple o f
Oregon State Legislators stood on
the floor o f the State Senate and
proclaimed M artin Luther K ing’ s
birthday a State holiday. They were
not aware o f the fact that Chalmers
L. Jones was making unpublicized
national history in the backroom of a
crowded prison only a few blocks
away.
On January 21, 1979, Chalmers L.
Jones became the first parole board
member in this nation's penal history
to teach an educational course in the
same prison where he, as a parole
member, can grant ot deny paroles
to the prisoner-students in his class.
The course: “ Black Awareness.”
But this is not astonishing to the
life and career o f Chalmers L. Jones.
He has worked hard for many years
with a driving ambition to upgrade
his people’s self-awareness.
Jones has always been noted as a
person who is rarely found sitting
behind a desk in some State appoint
ed plush office trying to determine
what is best for people. Instead he is
doing something about it.
Back in the summer o f *68, when
Black youth were burning down their
neighborhood, Chalmers Jones,
manager with the Oregon State Em
ployment Agency, was found stand
ing on street corners and back alleys
all over Albina, fielding the Black
community grievances. Today, with
the State p rison’ s population o f
Black youth growing each year at an
alarming rate one can again find
Chalmers L. Jones right in the midst
of his people’s problems.
It is a long way from St. Joseph,
Louisiana to Salem, Oregon.
Born June 3, 1925 in St. Joseph he
completed his elementary and high
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the com m unity at large, at times
when classes are not being held. And
on the weekends, the gymnasium is
sometimes used fo r local tourna
ments or by teams o f employees o f
local businesses.
In January, Van Dyke notes, the
gymnasium housed the Reverend
W illie Grant Memorial Basketball
Tournament.
The gymnasium facilities are open
to any interested group when not
being used for classes. Interested in
dividuals or groups should call Chris
Cady during business hours for de
tails and to make reservations.
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