Marion T. "Jap" Jones

Graduated from Booker T. Washington High School of Dallas in 1942 after leading the Bulldogs to the state championships in football and track, Jap Jones went on to Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, where his athletic exploits earned recognition as Pop Long's "One Man Track Team". Besides earning All American in track and honorable mention in football, his versatile athletic talents included basketball, baseball, and tennis. The height of his athletic achievement was reached when Pop Long sent him alone to the Drake Relays twice and to the national AAU twice in San Antonio, Texas which were the premier track events leading up to the 1948 Olympics. The 1947 Wiley Wildcats won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Track Championships against favored Prairie View, Texas College, Southern University and Arkansas State with 32 points with 21 1/2 coming from Jap's firsts in both hurdles, the 440 yd. dash and anchoring the mile relay to a stunning upset over the cream of the crop in the Conference.

Jap began his coaching career at Galilee High School in Hallsville, Texas which had basketball and track teams. He added football and won the district the first year. His two-year stint resulted in one district title in football, one in track, a district and state runner-up in basketball.

He next served two years at his old high school, Booker T. Washington, as head basketball coach, and assisting his former high school coach, Raymond Hollie, in track and football. Booker T. Washington High School won the state crown in football and track in 1950 and 1951. Jap next served 9 years at I. M. Terrell as Assistant and later Head Football Coach, which he started in 1954. From 1961 to 1971, he served as assistant football coach, head baseball coach and assistant track coach while starting golf and tennis for both boys and girls at Dunbar High School. From 1971 to 1980, he served as vice principal at Dunbar High School, and later moved to Poly High School serving until his retirement in 1983. His athletic career was interrupted by the call of Uncle Sam in 1942, but he returned in 1945 after the Wildcats had just won the National Championship. Upon his return from the Army, Jap met and married the "Lucky", lovely, Hattie Louise Washington from Jacksonville, Florida, and from this union sprang two daughters, two granddaughters, and two grandsons. Currently, Marion Tawrice "Jap" Jones serves as a football, basketball and baseball official in high school and in the Southwestern Athletic Conference from 1948 to 1971. He organized the local coaches' association and served as its president for several years.

Jap is a member of Epsilon Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Saint Peter Presbyterian Church.

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