Philanthropist and Magna Vista Partners CEO Dale E. Jones ’82 has announced the establishment of a $2.5 million endowed scholarship to help rising Morehouse Men who are struggling to pay for college in their final years to access the resources they need to graduate. The gift to Morehouse was inspired in part by the financial challenges that Jones and his twin brother faced as first-generation college students 42 years ago.
“My brother, Dr. Dan Jones, and I came to Morehouse under difficult circumstances. Our mother had passed away several years earlier. My dad, a shoe repairman by day and a janitor by night, struggled to keep us in college for four years. He also became permanently disabled while we were in school,” said Jones, a Trustee Emeritus at Morehouse College. “The adversity of trying to stay encouraged, but also be financially capable to remain at Morehouse, was hard on all of us.”
The Yolanda and Dale Jones Family Endowed Scholarship Fund will provide a safety net of financial aid support to help juniors and seniors reach graduation. The “Finishing Well” Scholarship will be available during the Fall 2024 Semester for continuing students who meet income and academic requirements.
“We are pleased to established the Yolanda and Dale Jones Family Endowed Scholarship Fund of $2.5 million to help students finish well,” Jones said. “Too often, juniors and seniors get to Morehouse and can’t compete their education because they are out of resources. We are hoping to build financial capacity for students to complete the last mile of their education.”
Jones, the former CEO of Diversified Search, was recently honored with a Bennie Award for Leadership at the 36th Annual “A Candle in the Dark” Gala for his service to Morehouse and his success as a business and community leader. It is one of the College’s highest honors to be bestowed on a Morehouse alumnus.
The Jones Family Endowed Scholarship is being funded by a collaborative effort between the Joneses and their relatives and friends. They have all pledged matching funds as an investment in the potential of rising Morehouse Men. “We have invited a number of friends and family members to be a part of this journey with us, to help match the funds that we have committed so that this can be a force multiplier effect to help as many young men complete their education as possible,” Jones added.
Jones is the national co-chair of Morehouse College’s historic $500 million “Making Men of Consequence” Campaign, which is positioning the historically Black liberal arts institution for continued growth and prominence in the 21st century. The campaign has raised a $257 million driving investment in student scholarships, innovative academic programs, trailblazing faculty research, and essential campus improvements.
Investing in Morehouse College has been a way of life for Jones for years. He has rallied scores of alumni and friends to also contribute to teaching and learning at Morehouse. But it was the selfless gift of a cleaning woman in his Atlanta office building that pushed him to dig deeper into his wallet annually to elevate the Morehouse Mission.
“Her name was Nellie Williams. She took the MARTA bus to the bank every day and cleaned the executive floors. She saw on my desk that I had been writing notes to friends asking them to give to Morehouse,” Jones said. “One day, she came to see me and said, ‘I never attended college, but I see that you have been writing letters to help Morehouse and, I want to give you something on that fund.’ The next day she reached in her apron and gave me a cashier’s check for $1,000. I was moved to tears. Nellie’s gift to Morehouse calls us as Morehouse Men to rise to the occasion and give as much back as we can.
“To whom much is given, much is required.”
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