aprofileof dr.betty jeanjones...2 a profile of dr. betty j. jones betty jean jones, ph.d....

Being Grown IsMore Than A Notion

A Profile of

Dr. BettyJean Jones

A P r o f i l e o f D r . B e t t y J . J o n e s2

B e t t y J e a n J o n e s , P h . D .1 9 4 9 – 1 9 9 7

1949

Born December 11 in Albany, Georgia

1963 – 1 9 6 7

Monroe High School, Albany, Georgia

1967 – 1 9 7 1

B.A. in English and Drama, BennettCollege, Greensboro, North Carolina

1971 – 1 9 7 3

Assistant to the Director, PublicInformation and PublicationsDepartment, Greensboro Public SchoolSystem, Greensboro, NC

1973 – 1 9 7 6

Senior Writer for Public Relations Firm,B&C Associates, Inc., High Point, NorthCarolina

1976

Acting Chairman, Drama Department,Bennett College, Greensboro, NorthCarolina

1976 – 1 9 7 8

M.F.A. in Directing, University of NorthCarolina at Greensboro

1976 – 1 9 8 4

Chairman, Drama Department, TheGovernor’s School of North Carolina atSalem College, Winston-Salem

1978 – 1 9 8 2

Ph.D. in American Theatre and Drama,University of Wisconsin at Madison

1979 – 1 9 8 2

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Universityof Wisconsin at Madison, Department ofTheatre and Drama

1982 – 1 9 8 3

Visiting Instructor, Department ofCommunication and Theatre, Universityof North Carolina at Greensboro

1983 – 1 9 8 8

Assistant Professor, Department ofCommunication and Theatre, Universityof North Carolina at Greensboro

1988

Invited Scholar at International EugeneO’Neill Conferences:

� Nanjing University, Nanjing, China� Nobel Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden� Belgian Luxembourg American StudiesAssociation, Han-sur-Lesse, Belgium

1988 – 1 9 9 4

Associate Professor of Theatre in theDepartment of Communication andTheatre (tenured 1988); Director ofGraduate Division; University of NorthCarolina at Greensboro

1993

Guest Professor of Theatre, University ofNevada at Las Vegas

1994 – 1 9 9 7

Professor of Theatre, Department ofTheatre and Drama, University ofMichigan

1996 – 1 9 9 7

Associate Dean of Rackham GraduateSchool, University of Michigan

1997

Killed January 9 in the crash of ComairFlight 3272 in southeast Michigan

� Content: Anita Jones Roehrick� Graphic Design: Rob Roehrick, Roehrick Design� Quilt Design: Silas J. Jones

Cover photos of Betty (clockwise from upper left):Elementary school portrait, 1959; on the steps ofBennett College’s Little Theatre, 1969; Universityof Michigan Theatre Dept. montage, 1997; and47th birthday celebration with her sister, Anita,and niece, Miranda, San Francisco, 1996

A P r o f i l e o f D r . B e t t y J . J o n e s 3

(Reprinted from the University of MichiganFaculty Listing)

Betty J. Jones, Ph.D. (theatre studies, directing) is

Associate Dean of the Horace H. Rackham School

of Graduate Studies and Professor of Theatre. At

the Rackham Graduate School she directs the

Office of Fellowships and Recruitment, and she

also addresses graduate study in the Arts and

Humanities at the University. She is an interna-

tionally recognized specialist in the field of

American Theatre and Drama. Her special inter-

ests include classic and contemporary American

theatre, and American film studies. Both an artist

and a scholar, she seeks in her work to combine

theoretical and critical approaches to production

and performance.

Documentation of her directing of major

American dramas is collected in theatre archives

in America and abroad. Ms. Jones is author of

numerous published essays and was an invited

panelist at noteworthy symposia in Belgium,

China, Germany, and Sweden.

Ms. Jones is a founding member of the

American Theatre and Drama Society and on the

editorial board of Theatre Symposium.

She came to the University of Michigan in 1994.

She was previously a member of the faculty at the

University of North Carolina at Greensboro and

served as guest professor at the University of

Nevada at Las Vegas.

Ms. Jones frequently

addresses the Association for

Theatre in Higher Education as

well as regional theatre confer-

ences; and she has been a pan-

elist at a Modern Language

Association national meeting.

She is frequently asked to respond as scholar/

artist to the development of new American plays

at major regional theatre companies including

Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, the Western Stage

Company, and offerings at the John F. Kennedy

Center for the Performing Arts.

She holds three degrees in English and

Drama: from the University of Wisconsin at

Madison (Ph.D.), University of North Carolina at

Greensboro (M.F.A.), and Bennett College (B.A.). �

U n i v e r s i t y o f M i c h i g a n 1 9 9 7

c h a rm i n g


T h e J o u r n e y B e g i n s

By Anita Jones Roehrick,Betty’s sister

etty Jean Jones wasraised in a housedivided—by the

Albany, Georgia City Limit sign.It was fitting because our child-hoods were a mixture of fancyand plain, city and country.

Irene Gaines Jones, our mother,was a teacher and librarian andlaid claim to the world outsideour front door—the world of aca-demics and the folk who popu-lated Hazard Drive. Turn rightat the sign and you were on thecampus of Albany State College—the small Negro college whereour mother earned her degree.Also on the campus, one housedown from our house, wasHazard Laboratory School whereBetty and I finished first throughseventh grades. Turn left at thesign and you were among ourrich mix of neighbors, a spectrumof African Americans; countryfolk living “in the city”.

A step out the back door took usinto the world of chores and playtime. Our father, Silas Jones,worked as a lard renderer forLykes Brothers, a meat packingplant and was proprietor of a gasstation. In his spare time he was

“Stay in theprocess of Life;don’t dropout,

it’s aboutthe journey,

not thedestination.”Betty J. Jones

Betty Jean Jones, two years old, 1951

compa s s i o na t e

B

Growing up onsolid ground


a hunter, fisherman and back-yard farmer. Our parents did notown the property at 325 HazardDrive, but our father laid claimto the land when he plantedsugar cane, corn, peas, okra andtomatoes; built a pen for hishunting dogs and a yard forchickens. There was a wood pilewhere he chopped fuel wood forour fireplaces.

Betty was our mother’s first bornand the third daughter born toour father. Our father’s otherdaughters are Mildred Jones andPatricia Stewart. Mildred grewup with her mother in Cleveland,Ohio, spending summers with usin Georgia. Pat was not a part ofour growing up years. “It’s called LIFE

and life is notfair.”Betty J. Jones,quoting hergrandmother,Arlena Hinson

From left: Betty Jean with her mother Mrs. Irene Gaines Jones, and hersister Anita Gail at home on Hazard Drive, Albany Georgia, 1963.

The Jones Family: Mr. & Mrs.Silas J. Jones, Betty Jean, andAnita Gail, Vada, GA, 1956.

After my birth, our maternalgrandmother, Arlena Hinson,moved in with the family tohelp while our mother worked.As she grew older, Betty took onmore responsibilities around thehouse while continuing to liveup to the high academic expecta-tions our parents—and she—hadset for herself.

Betty felt we were fortunate togrow up at a time when childrenwere raised by caring communi-ties. We had a strong foundationat home, at church and atschool. Betty took on leadershiproles in all three places: solidground on which she practicedthe lessons that shaped her intothe phenomenal woman shecame to be. �

o l d s ou l

“Trouble don’tmiss nobody—but don’t inviteit in—it willcome your waythroughoutyour life.”Betty J. Jones,quoting hergrandmother,Arlena Hinson

Betty Jean, right and Anita Gailcenter, 1956.

f i e s t y


E a r l y Y e a r s 1 9 5 1 – 1 9 6 3

By Anita Jones Roehrick

n reflecting on the loveand care received fromthe adults who raised us,

Betty’s long time friend, EdnaWilliams Stanback says, “It radi-ated out from family to teachersto the people at church. Theywere all concerned. It was atrue village.”

Our mother hadfour siblings andour father was theyoungest of twenty-one so we were partof a large extendedfamily; made evenlarger by hosts offriends. In additionto the many stu-dents she taught,

our mother took under her wingstudents from Albany StateCollege. When they thanked hershe’d say, “You don’t have tothank me. Someday, my girlswill need help and I know thatsomebody will do for them whatI do for you now.” Young Bettydeveloped her gifts for collabora-tion and inclusiveness by follow-ing the example of Irene Joneswho had learned it in turn fromher mother, Arlena Hinson.

Young Betty soared in the chal-lenges of her learning years, oftenleading church youth auxiliariesand school clubs. Ruby Hampton,her eighth grade teacher, is aBennett College Alumni and themotivation behind Betty’s deci-sion to attend Bennett. Her fledg-ling interest in theatre wasnurtured at Monroe High in theDrama Club, lead by Mrs. Lee.

Young Betty flourished in thebosom of family. Our childhood

summers were spent in a placewe called down home—Vada,Camilla and Bainbridge, Georgia—sixty miles from Albany whereour mother had grown up. Abrown paper grocery bag servedas a suitcase as we weredeposited with our mother’syounger sister, Curtis Louise

Florence and her husband, UncleJohn, for summer days of simplepleasures—playing barefoot out-side until dark, fishing, ridingbikes on country roads, pickingvegetables and wild berries.

It seems that the path of Betty’slearning years was customdesigned to create the influentialartist/scholar/teacher. �

“GrandmamaArlena Hinson

said, ‘If youwant the fair, it

comes once ayear—enjoy it

when it comes;but until then

it’s life—justdeal with it.’”Betty J. Jones

Accompanying her sister, Anita, on piano, 1962.

Elementary school portrait, 1959

The Jones & Stovall families, 1966.

I“Always

engage thebeast; it’s abeauty of a

challenge.”Betty J. Jones

Down home

7

Betty Jones, 1964

H i g h S c h o o l Y e a r s 1 9 6 3 – 1 9 6 7

By Betty J. Jones, High SchoolGraduation speech

“‘For now we see through aglass, darkly; but then faceto face; now I know in part;but then shall I know evenas also I am known.’ Theseare the words of ApostlePaul, as written to theCorinthians in Chapter 13and verse 12. They conveythe significance of ourtheme: ‘Shores Dimly Seen.’

“Presently, as graduates, wesee the future as a dream.It is viewed as if through adark glass and it appears asa dim tomorrow or a distantshore. However, we are sure

Monroe High Graduation, 1967.

of one fact, and that is: Thefuture is a reality and wemust view it face-to-face.

“We live in stages of constantchange, but our foresightinto the future is not totallydestroyed. Now, we can onlysee clearly the first part ofour ‘tomorrows’—our hopes.However, when we fulfillthese hopes we can see thefull picture as we completethe second part—our accom-plishments.

“As we live from day-to-day,we can recognize a brighten-ing of the dark glass as thedistant shores becomecloser. We can then see our-selves as others see us andknow ourselves as othersknow us; for then we havereached that ‘shore’ andother ‘ships of progress’are docked in the ‘sandsof time.’ This progress canbe seen clearly, as successin life for a full individualis being exemplified inEducation, Citizenship andReligion. Developmentsin these areas of today,determine the success oftomorrow.” �

A P r o f i l e o f D r . B e t t y J . J o n e s

p r o u d

“You have donewell so far.Remember, fromhere to successis yours. Don’tlet yourself bedeceived noryour parentsand well-wish-ers. There aretoo many on thedo-nothing seat.Please don’ttake one there.”High school grad-uation inscriptionwritten to Bettyby her mother,Irene G. Jones

Shores dimly seen “Adulthoodain’t all that it’scracked up tobe, but—it’s notmore than youcan handle.”Betty J. Jones,from speech

“Challenge toWomen GraduateStudents,”U of M, Nov. 1996

Betty, fourth from the right, Student Library Assistants of Georgia, 1967

With her mother, Irene, 1964.


C o l l e g e Y e a r s 1 9 6 7 – 1 9 7 1

Betty Jones in scene from The Amen Corner, 1969.

Theatrical portrait, BennettCollege, 1970.

Life-long friend, Edna Jean Williams and Betty JeanJones, 1971.

Bennett College reunion, 1986.

Bennett College reunion, 1991.

By Fred Eady, Professor of Theatre,Bennett College

t all began during thesummer of 1968. Bettywas enrolled in the

Scholar’s Program at BennettCollege. Vividly, I recall seeingBetty for the first time as sheentered the Little Theatre withthree or four other young ladies.Believe it or not, Betty wasactually skipping down the aisle

she participated was a bigsuccess. Since her graduation,we have always kept in touch.She was part of us for morethan twenty-five years andcontributed much to the devel-opment of theatre in our com-munity. She was a true personof the arts. We loved her. Wewill always remember her. �

“Our lives aremore enriched

by havingknown her, and

let her makean imprint on us.”

Fred Eady

of the theatre. Her skipping intothe theatre has made an ever-lasting impression on me, andrepresented her interest, vigor,and determination in herendeavors. With that momen-tum, she achieved her goals,helped others, and enjoyed liv-ing. She enjoyed being in thepresence of others and seeing toit that others are happy andcomfortable. She was a true per-son of the theatre.

Betty’s participation in theatri-cal productions began duringher arrival at Bennett Collegethat summer. Her first part wasin the summer theatre produc-tion of Something Goes BumpIn The Night. She demonstratedsuch excellent talent that uponher return in the Fall she per-formed the mother in a play byEdward Albee. She went on toperform Ruth in LoraineHansberry’s A Raisin In TheSun. Soon after that experienceshe performed James Baldwin’s,Margaret Alexander in TheAmen Corner. The viewerwould not believe that she wasa young, inexperienced collegestudent. She performed asthough she had many yearsof professional training.

Betty brought a breath of freshair to the theatrical productionsat Bennett. Everything in which

I

A breath of fresh air

ta l en t e d9

E a r l y P r o f e s s i o n a l Y e a r s


By Owen D. Lewis, GreensboroPublic Schools, North Carolina

etty Jean Jones wasemployed by theGreensboro Public

Schools from June 24, 1971 toFebruary 28, 1973, when sheresigned to take a position withB&C Associates, a nationallyprominent public relations firmin High Point, North Carolina.

My position was director of pub-lic information and publicationsfor the school district whichincluded 44 schools K-12 andabout 30,000 students.

Betty was one of two assistantsin the department. She was hiredimmediately after her graduationfrom Bennett College, where shehad an outstanding record.

Betty worked primarily in thearea of print media, preparingnews releases, and writing andediting various publicationsincluding a monthly employeehouse organ, a quarterly commu-nity newsletter, an annual report,and various brochures for recruit-ment, explanation of programs,and promotion.

By Robert J. Brown, President,B&C Associates, Inc., High Point,North Carolina

etty Jones worked forB&C Associates dur-ing the early 1970s.

I first started to work closelywith her in 1973. Betty was anexcellent writer and able to puther thoughts on paper withmuch ease. Since we are a publicrelations firm, a major part ofour business deals with submit-ting proposals to clients andpotential clients. I could alwaysgive her an assignment without

She was a gifted writer. She wasa quick study in cutting througheducational jargon to express thefacts in plain English. She wasvery good at the identificationand explanation of positiveaspects of the school district. Shewas a self-starter, imbued with agreat work ethic. She had a realflair for the creative, and thismanifested itself in her work andin her leisure activities.

Betty ‘marched to a differentdrummer.’ She was a unique per-sonality, the consumate artist.We all missed her when she leftfor bigger and better things in theP.R. world. �

hesitation, because I knew that itwould be completed in a timelymanner and it would be donemeticulously.

I knew that one day Betty wouldachieve greatness, and she wason her way to doing just that atthe time of her untimely death.Betty wanted to teach and notjust the fundementals, shewanted to teach drama and the-atrics. She wanted to travel andshare the excitement of travelingto the four corners of the earthwith her many students.

I rememberhearing fromBetty by post-card whenshe was onone of hermany excur-sions. At thetime, she was working on herdoctorate at the University ofWisconsin, but she had received afellowship to travel and to studyin China. She was very excitedabout it and dreamed of travelingto other places. It was so likeBetty to share her excitementwith friends and associates. �

A gifted writer and quick study

On the road to greatness “B&C Associates,the University ofNorth Carolina atGreensboro, andthe University ofMichigan wereonly to be a fewof the pitstops shewould have madeduring a lifetimeof teaching, shar-ing, and traveling,had she beenallowed to com-plete her dreams.”Robert J. Brown

“Betty ‘marchedto a differentdrummer.’ Shewas a uniquepersonality, theconsumateartist.”Owen D. Lewis

B

B


U n i v e r s i t y o f N o r t h C a r o l i n aa t G r e e n s b o r o 1 9 8 2 – 1 9 9 4

“Self-confidenceand self-affirma-tion must not belost within our-

selves, even ifwe must workwith difficult

people.”Betty J. Jones

“She taught memany lessonsand—like Dr.Jones—I have

preserved thatrich history she

so willinglyshared. TodayI do for otherswhat she did

for me.”Vivian Wade Banks,

former student

Betty’s faculty office, UNC-Greensboro, 1986.

“Betty was a ‘class act,’ well-known for her warmth and gen-erous spirit. She enjoyed givingfreely of her time to thosearound her. She frequently andquietly gave financial support tothose less fortunate. In a crisis,she was often the first to calland the last to leave. She was asecond mother to my daughter,and I suspect to several others.We continue to miss her encour-agement and her zest for life.”Deborah Bell, Costume Designer,UNCG Theatre Department

been an Associate Professorof theatre in the Departmentof Communication andTheatre. She was the Directorof Graduate Studies in theTheatre Division and shetaught American film in theBroadcasting/Cinema Division.She directed mainstage plays,and she coordinated TeacherEducation for Theatre Arts andSpeech Communication. �

etty Jean Jonesreceived a master’sdegree in Directing

from the University of NorthCarolina at Greensboro.

Ms. Jones taught for 12 years atUNC-Greensboro and moved toAnn Arbor, Michigan in 1994 toteach theatre at the Universityof Michigan in Ann Ann Arbor.

At UNC-Greensboro she had

Dr. Jones teaching UNCG theatreclass, 1985.

engag i n g

B

“I met Dr. Jones in 1987 at the Universityof North Carolina, Greensboro. There is nodoubt in my mind that she was the drivingforce at UNCG. She was an instigator, apusher, the faculty member who wished topull or push the Department forward. Sheserved as a role model for all students, notjust students of color.”Jeffrey Keop, Dean, College of Fine Arts, Univ. of Nevada–Las Vegas

Betty and Deborah Bell, inNew York City, 1994.

11

Scene from Eugene O’Neill’s ATouch of the Poet, directed byBetty Jones at UNCG, 1987.

From left: Anita Jones, CarolynMontomery, and Betty Jones onthe set of Mournin’, 1991.


UNC-Greensboro TheatreHall of Fame Award

To help celebrate its seventy-fifthanniversary, UNCG Theatre estab-lished a Theatre Hall of Fame, andinducted its first twelve membersin October 1997.

Six of the twelve recipients areliving, and six were honoredposthumously.

Dr. Robert C. Hansen, head of theDepartment of Broadcasting/Cinema and Theatre, said awardswent to “those who have madesignificant contributions to UNCGTheatre over a sustained periodof time.”

Dr. Betty Jean Jones was inductedinto the Theatre Hall of Fame inOctober 1997.

Zenovi Korogodsky, RussianChildren’s Theatre Director, visit-ing UNCG, 1989.

Betty visiting with actor, Richard Thomas(“John Boy” Walton) in her UNC-Greensboro faculty office.

Scene from Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisinin the Sun, directed by Betty Jones atUNCG, 1985.

art i s t

“Part of being a professional is knowing whatyou do not know and what you do not do.But that which you do know and do—do itwith excellence and confidence.”Betty J. Jones

“Betty’s left a legacy ofstudents to perpetuatethe ideas and ideal towhich she was committed.The children she nevergave birth to are thousandsof students and artistswhom she gave birth to,nurtured, supported, andencouraged.”Carolyn Cole Montgomery,Playwright, former student

con f i d en t


Betty Jones, pictured with hermother, Irene, received her Ph.D.in American Theatre and Dramafrom the University of Wisconsin,Madison in 1983.

“Be careful ofthe dangerousdemon of dis-

traction. Don’tbe pulled awayfrom the work

that is trulyyours.”

Betty J. Jones

U n i v e r s i t y o f N o r t h C a r o l i n aa t G r e e n s b o r o 1 9 8 2 – 1 9 9 4

A fine scholar and gifted artistBy Herman Middleton, EmeritusExcellence Professor of Theatre,UNC-Greensboro

knew Betty Jean first as astudent when she elected topursue the MFA degree at

UNCG. In addition to discoveringher independence of character, Ilearned that she was a fine scholarand gifted artist. I directed her inleading roles in two plays, and will

always remember her in TennesseeWilliams, Camino Real, costumedin high black boots, and cracking awhip as she controlled order asmayor of the city.

When she went to the Universityof Wisconsin to secure her Ph.D., I

encouraged her and was pleased tofind her enthusiastic about return-ing to UNCG as a faculty memberwhen her work there was finished.One thing I remember about theseyears was when she told me that Iwas her mentor—certainly one ofthe nicest things to happen to me.

The move to the University ofMichigan was a wonderful promo-tion for her—full of career opportu-nities. One project she talked withme about was a production ofEugene O’Neill’s panoramic script,Marco Millions. While in Chinaseveral years ago she layed thegroundwork for an American pro-duction involving a Chinese com-pany of actors playing the Asianparts and her students playing theCaucasian characters. This wasnow scheduled to take place atMichigan as a featured element ofthe University’s emphasis of cul-tural diversity as it moves into the21st century. My, what an ambi-tion she had.

Now, the production will not takeplace, of course. There is a poeticspeech (see below) near the end of

Betty Jones as “Guttman” inCamino Real at UNCG, 1977.

I

We lament the shortness of life. Life at its longest is brief enough. Too brief for the wis-dom of joy, too long for the knowledge of sorrow. Sorrow becomes despair when deathcomes to the young, untimely. Oh, that her beauty could live again, that her youthcould be born anew. Our Princess was young as Spring, she was beautiful as a bird orflower. Cruel when Spring is smitten by Winter, when birds are struck dead in full song,when the budding blossom is blighted! Alas that our Princess is dead, she was the songof songs, the perfume of perfumes, the perfect one! Our sobs stifle us, our tears wet theground, our lamentations sadden the wind from the West. Yet we must bow humblybefore the Omnipotent. —Speech from Eugene O’Neill’s Marco Millions

the play which is full of my per-sonal feelings for Betty Jean. Itreveals my personal frustrationwhen some young, successful per-son’s life meets an untimely end. �

From left: Silas Jones, BettyJones, Mildred Stovall, U-WMadison Professor Esther MerleJackson, and Irene Jones, 1983.

13

I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o n f e r e n c e o n E u g e n eO ’ N e i l l , N a n j i n g U n i v e r s i t y , C h i n a 1 9 8 8

“I had a dreamof going to China.In 1988 I traveledthere as the onlyAfrican Americanon an interna-tional theatretrip. Quite anexperience!”Dr. Betty J. Jones

r. Betty J. Jones spe-cialized in AmericanTheatre and was par-

ticularly knowledgeable aboutEugene O’Neill. Dr. Jones wasdevoted to the historical andaesthetic exploration of theentire American theatre.

Dr. Jones travelled to China in1988 to give lectures and directChinese productions of EugeneO’Neill plays. Upon her return,she published several articlesabout her extensive experiencesin China, where Eugene O’Neillis revered among theatre artists.

Margaret Loftus Ranald, presi-dent of the Eugene O’NeillSociety, tells of becomingacquainted with her on a 1988trip to an important conferencein China. “She delivered a fine

paper, ‘Directing the Playsof Eugene O’Neill: Style,Substance, and Synthesis.’”

The essay was later publishedin the book, “O’Neill inChina,” by Greenwood Pressof Westport, Connecticutt.

“A journey like that showswhat people really are like,”said Ranald. “One learns toshare little necessaries likeaspirin, dental floss, film, andalso to offer uncomplainingand caring help to others. BettyJean was like that. She wasalso enquiring and curious,managing to get the guides toask unusual, even intimate,questions of children, students,and others—all of whom shefascinated by her elegance andher interest.” �

Betty Jean Jonesin Chinese.

“I always admiredher vivacity and herintegrity as a scholar.She will be missed byall her friends in China.It is a great loss tothe Eugene O’Neillcommunity.”Haiping Liu, Head of theDepartment of Literatureand English, NanjingUniversity, China


Haiping Liu, at far left, with Betty Jones at a Eugene O’NeillConference in Boston, 1995.

Haiping Liu and Betty Jones atthe International Conference onEugene O’Neill in China, 1988.

Betty Jones, at far left, attendingthe International Conference onEugene O’Neill in China, 1988.

Betty Jones, second from left,China, 1988.

D


U n i v e r s i t y o f M i c h i g a na t A n n A r b o r

Department of Theatre photo montage in memory of Dr. Betty Jones. Here she directs studentsin her final production The Tooth of Crime. Colleague and playwright Charles“OyamO”Gordonis seen in the left foreground.

r. Betty J. Jonesjoined the Universityof Michigan, Ann

Arbor faculty as Professor ofTheatre in fall of 1994 afterleaving the University ofNorth Carolina at Greensboro.Jones was subsequentlyappointed Associate Dean forFellowships, Recruitment andStudent Support at RackhamGraduate School in January of1996, while retaining her pro-fessorship in the U-M TheatreDepartment.

In the theatre Dr. Jonesfounded a production concept

which she named AmericanTheatre and Drama Project.The concept involved a totalteam approach to a play’sdevelopment and its produc-tion. She wrote the followingabout that concept: “Thisapproach is a true collaborationof the entire production teamof director, actors, designers,dramaturg, and stage techni-cians. We explore theplayscript together, in the per-formance space, with volunteeractors (at first) to illuminatethe text before we render pro-duction concepts or cast theproduction. This process ofworking is vital to approachingthe American Theatre andDrama with its complexities ofcharacter, action, and setting.”

To accomplish her magnificentproduction of Sam Shepard’sTooth of Crime Dr. Jones beganthe team process at Michiganin September 1995. However,the production concept wasbeing developed by herAmerican Theatre and DramaProject as early as May 1991.The play was ultimately pro-duced in April of 1996. Dr.Jones wrote that her “…goal[was] to interest our entirecommunity in the experienceof this play through a processof truly building a productionover time, in full view.” She

“The spirit ofBetty Jean wasinclusiveness. She was simply the mostinclusive person I knew, as well as a verystrong, proud black woman.

“She had many songs to sing, and suchstunning energy. I think that’s what made herso accessible to our students. She had a wayof putting us all at ease while also spreadingenthusiasm.”Erik Fredricksen, Chair, Department of Theatre andDrama, University of Michigan

Ds cho lar

15

said that “The play [would] beevenly cast with six men andsix women with an eye to cul-tural inclusions within theAmerican ethnic landscape.”

After the play’s production,the team process continuedthrough an open forum that

seriously critiqued the produc-tion. Dr. Jones wanted theentire process to serve a vitaleducational function evenbeyond the standard theatretraining. She was fond ofrepeating statements like:

“Never forget: process is theproduct.” Or, “Remember: it isall about the journey—travel-ing toward is more importantthan arriving at.” Or, finally,

“Keep in touch with the peoplewho took this journey withyou—they are the keepers ofthe best in the true meaningof theatre artist.”

“Working with her was probablythe best acting experience I’veever had,” said U-M theatremajor Jeffrey M. Bender, whoco-starred in Jones’ production

of Sam Shepard’s The Tooth ofCrime in April 1996.

Playwright and theatre profes-sor OyamO reflected on Jones’ceaseless enthusiasm for pro-jects at hand: “Things wouldjust pop into her head all thetime. And by the time a projectcame around, she’d knoweverything about it.

“In Tooth of CrimeI had never seensome of thosestudents manageto do what theydid in that show.They just

stretched. And she made themstretch. That’s how you learnat an early age. These studentswere positively glowing. Theywouldn’t dream of not workinghard for her.”

“A rare combination ofdignity, beauty, intelli-gence, and strength, BettyJean never allowed herselfto forget her own life’sjourney because sheinsisted on never forgettingfrom where she came.”Nancy Cantor, then-Dean ofthe Rackham School ofGraduate Studies, Universityof Michigan

“What was it about this woman thatmade me so desperate to bring her to[University of] Michigan? Her fatherknows. Her sisters know. Herextended family knows. Her friends,

colleagues, and students know. She was a serious scholar andan old-fashioned school marm, a lover of the theatre and ahands-on theatre worker.

“In our world that seems to be falling apart, these notions ofcollaboration that Betty Jean Jones leaves us with are pre-cious.… As a true theatre artist, let us honor her memory bybecoming the keepers of the best notions of simple humandecency and social harmony.”Charles “OyamO” Gordon, Professor of Theatre and Drama,University of Michigan

“Perhaps hergreatest contri-bution [during a semester as a visiting profes-sor at University of Nevada–Las Vegas] wasa presentation to the faculty … that criticized,in a very positive manner, the Department’slack of multi-culturalism and ways in whichit could improve. I am please to state many ofthese ideas were implemented.”Jeffrey Keop, Dean, College of Fine Arts, Universityof Nevada–Las Vegas


(continued on page 16)

v i s i o nary

“It’s good toknow thatparameters canfree you.”Betty J. Jones,from speech

“Challenge toWomen GraduateStudents,”U of M, Nov. 1996


Erik Fredricksen and U-Mprofessor of costume designJessica Hahn both felt “over-whelmed” by the outpouringof sympathy extended themat the 1997 American CollegeTheatre Festival Conferencein North Carolina, “It wasawesome, the number ofpeople who knew her,” saidFredricksen. “The number ofpeople she touched was justamazing.”

“So many people at the confer-ence knew her so well,” saidHahn. “Her friendships andher influence were trulynationwide. She believed astage production is a whollycollaborative experience, anundertaking that shouldinclude everyone involvedfrom the very beginningincluding tech people anddesigners. People really appre-ciated the attention she’ddevote to everyone, and ofcourse she had that kind ofcharisma to pull things off.Some people are so vibrantthey just suck the air out ofa room.”

Jones’ upcoming projectshad included a projectedstaging of Eugene O’Neill’splay Marco Millions in con-junction with the Jaingsu ArtTheatre of China. A productionof Tennessee Williams’ AStreetcar Named Desire wasalso in the works, as well as anew play by OyamO, The Pinkand Say, set in the Civil War. �

“Had Betty Jean wishedto continue to rise in theranks of higher educationadministration, there is nodoubt in my mind that shewould have achieved what-ever ranks she might havechosen as her goal, includ-ing the highest level.”Nancy Cantor, now Provost,University of Michigan

“I was Betty Jean’s secretary and my time withher was a short seven months, but because ofwho she was, all the things she stood for, andall the qualities she embodied, her effect onme is nothing short of a lifetime. From the dayI met her to this very day, my life continues toevolve because of Betty Jean Jones.”Carolyn Amick, Associate Dean’s Office, RackhamSchool of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan

U n i v e r s i t y o f M i c h i g a na t A n n A r b o r

Dr. Jones with University ofMichigan theatre student, 1994.

Dr. Jones with her niece, Miranda,in her office, 1995.

comm i t t e d

“Don’t fear yourdreams, for theyare the mark ofa creative mind.”

Arlena Hinson,Betty’s grandmother

(continued from page 15)

In March 1997, University ofMichigan faculty and staffinstalled a garden memorial—with benches, slate paving, and

flowering cherry tree—adjacent to the Horace H. RackhamSchool of Graduate Studies building. A bronze plaque readsin part: “My blessing is this: I dwell within you all.”


“I would sum up BettyJean’s impact as fol-lows. Betty Jean had aremarkable and wide-ranging presence inthe Graduate Schooland in the many

places she touched in the University. She com-pellingly merged a voice for social justice andinclusiveness with the scholarly agenda of theUniversity in the arts and humanities, neverforgetting the road she had traveled and reach-ing out to bring others with her on the path toachievement. She was a model and a leader forher students, faculty colleagues, and for all ofus at Rackham, who loved her dearly.”Nancy Cantor, then-Dean of the Rackham Schoolof Graduate Studies, University of Michigan

Dr. Jones with University of Michigan theatre students, 1995.

University of Michigan Theatre 211-005 Class, 1994.

Dr. Jones with University of Michigan design project class, final meet-ing and lunch, 1995

“Betty Jean is the first professor to ever believe in me.She is the only one to make me feel a part of things.I thank her for that. I will miss her.”Erin, University of Michigan Theatre student

“As an AfricanAmerican female,I consider thatmy freedom waswon at a greatprice. It is asacrifice andreward whichI cherish.”Betty J. Jones

t eacher

On August 7, 1997 the AmericanTheatre and Drama Society namedits annual national teaching awardThe Betty Jean Jones Award forOutstanding Teacher of AmericanTheatre and Drama in honor of herown outstanding teaching and manycontributions to American Theatreand Drama.


F a m i l y & F r i e n d s

By Anita Jones Roehrick

etty was always anold soul, wise for heryears; a teacher and

caretaker from the early years.I remember her standing at thekitchen stove in our mother’sstead, frying hamburgersat four in the morning forone of my class trips. Apeek out the back doorshowed the Greyhoundbus idling in the schoolparking lot. Betty care-fully packed my lunch,made a special punch andsent me off to join theother fourth gradersheaded for Indian Mound inMacon. My memory of her at thestove has always been of a grownwoman, making lunch for a nineyear old child. Betty was only 13.

Family was all important toBetty. Throughout her life shekept in touch with various familymembers, offering encourage-ment and laughter to young and

Betty—also known as Auntie Betty, Auntie Beej, orAuntie Pookie-Nose—with her niece, Miranda Irene,Cherry Grove beach, South Carolina, 1996.

Betty with her niece, Miranda,and sister, Anita, Bakers Beach,San Francisco, 1995.

b i g h eart

B

“I was very sadthat you died”

Miranda Roehrick,Betty’s 31⁄2 year-old

niece, 1998

A student of life

Above: Bettyreading to godsonDarryl Stanback.

Left: Betty withthen-husbandRalph, and god-children Darryland RobinStanback, 1985.

“Auntie Betty and I used to talk on thephone a lot. We kept in touch. When Iwas a kid she’d pick the bones from myfish for me. I visited her in 1994 and shecooked fish. Sure enough she picked thebones out for me again. Auntie and Iused to hang out. I miss her so much.”Derrick Stovall, Betty’s nephew

old alike. She enjoyed being thebridge that linked our family;carrying news back and forth inher visits to homes and reunions;sharing family photos; sendingpostcards and bringing storiesand gifts from her travels.

Betty and I motivated each otherto collect family history, connect

19

with our past. Arlena Hinsonwas the only grandparent wewere able to know. The othersdied years before our births.The eldest of eight, GrandmamaArlena was a large woman,round and brown. She workedas a domestic and sharecropperfor years in Mitchell County,Georgia, the place we calleddown home. She was knownfor her warm heart and stronghand and was the head of herextended family. She was an allimportant person in Betty’s life.When Grandmama Arlena cameto live with our family after I

was born, Betty became a stu-dent of life at her knee. Evenat an early age, she knew thevalue of Grandmama’s words.In her work as a professor andAssociate Dean she relied onquotes from Grandmama tolay the foundation for her mes-sages. In her lectures, writingand conversations, Grandmamawas the prophet and Bettybecame keeper of the word.Arlena Hinson died on January17, 1968 at the age of 78. Someyears later Betty wrote a poemin her honor—simply titled, ForArlena (see back cover). �

Far left:Celebrating hermother’s 64thbirthday, 1990.

Near left: Duringone of her manyvisits home toAlbany, Georgiato spend timewith her father,Silas, 1996.


The Joneses—Anita, Silas, Irene,& Betty, 1973

b i g l o v e

“Life is a sen-tence...but youget to write it!What willyours say?”Betty J. Jones

“Insist on doingsome of thework you mustdo everyday.”Betty J. Jones

“One of my fondest memories of AuntBetty is June 8, 1986—the expression oflove she showed when I received myhigh school diploma. She sustained andencouraged me to continue my educa-tion. I shall forever remain grateful.”Darrell Stovall, Betty’s nephew

Above:Robin, Betty,& Darryl,Cherry Grove,NC, 1992.

Right:Edna Jean Stanback, her daughterRobin, and Betty, 1976.

From left: Anita Jones, Derrick Stovall,Betty Jones, and Darrell Stovall, attend-ing Mildred Stovall Jones’ wedding, 1987.

From left: Flora Devine, Anita Jones,Mildred Stovall, and Betty Jones: brides-maids in Anita & Rob’s wedding,1987.

“The memories of Bettyare many and wonder-ful. She was alwaysvery supportive andloving, and dedicatedto her nephews—mysons—and their educa-tion. My son Darrellhad shown an interestin attending The Schoolof Performing Arts inWinston-Salem, NorthCarolina. When Bettylearned we were havingfinancial difficulty, sheprovided half of thetuition as a gift.”

Mildred P. Stovall Jones,Betty’s sister


F a m i l y & F r i e n d s

“Keeping a commit-ment to family,friends, community,and career is hardwork. My sister wasup to the task everyday of her life. Shelived her life. She

often reminded me, ‘Anita, people are whatmatter.’ To her I say, you were snatched awaytoo soon, Beej. Much too soon.”Anita Jones Roehrick, Betty’s sister

From left: Danny Hoback, Ralph Speas, Silas& Irene Jones, Betty Jones, and MandyHoback, 1988.

Anita Jones Roehrick, Betty and her niece Miranda Roehrick celebratingBetty’s 47th birthday in San Francisco, December 11, 1996.

From left: Betty, Miranda, Edna Jean Stanback, & SarahMcKoy vacationing in Cherry Grove, SC, 1996.

g i v i n g


“Betty was like asister to me, thesister I never had—and her relation-ship with ourdaughter, Miranda,was particularlyspecial, like thedaughter she never had. Betty had plans totake Miranda to Europe as a teenager, and tostart a college savings fund for her. But mostof all, she gave of herself . Miranda often patsher chest saying, ‘Auntie is here in our hearts’and includes her in saying ‘Grace’ at the din-ner table. The countless people she touched—and Betty—have sustained an inconceivableloss. I love you Beej.”Rob Roehrick, Betty’s brother-in-law

Proposing a toast to Anita andRob at their wedding receptionin San Francisco, 1987

Traveling with friends Carolyn Cole Montgomery, MalachiGreene, and Lee Freeman, 1990.

Betty, far right, celebratingthe holidays with VivianWade, her father Silas Jones,and her step-grandchildrenSamantha and Brianna,Albany, Georgia, 1995.

Fishing with her father, Silas, Myrtle Beach,South Carolina, 1994.

Betty and Rob “jumping thebroom” at wedding rehearsal,San Francisco, 1987.

ea s y sm i l e


I n T h e L a n d O f T h e S k y

it was night fall when up we cameand my ears signaled we were high

I was looking at the lights on the hillsand in the valley—ornaments on a huge

Christmas tree

mind filled with expectationand eyes wide with wonder

taking the mountain I felt reverentand fulfilled

wrapped in a blanket of nightI swooned at the sensations

of sight and sound as we lopeddown at midday next

the snow lingers in spots on roofsroads and running streamsover rocks and rest stops

powder, blade and asphaltexplode, crush and smother

once unspoiled land

the mountain still reigns supremethe constant force

holding firm its ground.

Betty J. Jones

23

Taking a break from the Senior Theatre USA Conference in Las Vegas, Betty and her father, Silas, visitHoover Dam and the surrounding area, January 8, 1997 (one day before the crash of Comair Flight 3272).


b e au t i f u l

“I was the lastfamily memberto see her alive.We flew intothe Cincinnatiairport together,then we splitup. She huggedmy neck andsaid, ‘Daddy,I’ll call youwhen you gethome. I’ll beatyou home.’That’s the lastthing she saidto me, ‘I’ll beatyou home.’”Silas J. Jones,Betty’s father

Photo

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F o r A r l e n a

Grandma told me stories thatwould make your hair curl—some more—and your blood

curdle like good unpasteurizedcountry buttermilk,

chilled in the ice box in aporcelain pitcher.

Grandma wore a paper hat,all star tennis shoes anda long dress with a longapron that fit over headand tied in the back—she

made the dress and apron and hatand Ma bought the tennis shoes.

Grandma had long hair that was coarseand silver grey and you only got

to see it on rare occasions when offcame the paper hat and the cloththat wrapped the braids and she

washed and combed it and quicklyput it back like it was.

Grandma walked sometimes with a stickbut all the time with definition and

direction and all the things Fred saysgo into the making of a good character.And she was a character, Grandma was,but mostly she was a large woman in

stature and state of mind—with so much to give.

Grandma loved and lived and let me knowthat all was never lostunless I willed it so.

And when she died at 87—she never died

for I remember her thenand still see her now andshe lives in all she knew

and touchedand in this.

Betty J. Jones

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aprofileof dr.betty jeanjones...2 a profile of dr. betty j. jones betty jean jones, ph.d....

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