Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Staff
Series 14: MEDICAL
Dr. Tracy Jones
Part-time PMSS Physician 1952-1955

 

 

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TAGS: Dr. Tracy Jones, medical doctors at PMSS, Florence Houghton Jones, Lincoln Memorial University, Harlan KY, California Medical Certificate, Louisville KY, Long Beach, CA;, Zande House, West Wind

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His work was described in Pine Mountain Settlement School Notes of March 1953, page 2:

For more than a year, Dr. Tracy Jones of Harlan town has directed our medical work. Dr. Jones, a native of this county, stepped in to help in the absence of a full-time resident doctor. At first, he conducted three clinics a week and was on call for emergencies, but he has been giving increasing amounts of time to the service of this community. He moved with his family, a wife and three (sic) young daughters, to the campus in July. Our search continues for a nurse to complete our medical staff.

Dr. Jones began working at Pine Mountain during the conversion of the former dormitory, West Wind, into a hospital, partly funded by the Creech Memorial Hospital fund. Approximately a year later, Dr. Jones became head of the new hospital and he, his wife, Florence Houghton Jones, and their four children, Barbara, Bronwynn, Mary Fairchild, and Ruth Ellen, moved into Zande House.

DR. TRACY JONES: His Daughter’s Story

Barbara Jones Smith, the daughter of Dr. Tracy and Florence Houghton Jones, submitted the following narrative (date unknown) about her father to PMSS Collections. (She also wrote about her mother, a transcription of which is on the page for FLORENCE HOUGHTON JONES.)

My father was the youngest of 12. My grandmother was left to raise all 12 in addition to providing financial support as a single woman. The oldest 6 raised the youngest 6. My dad was always bitter that his mother had been left alone to raise 12 children.

Following high school, my dad headed to Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. He then headed to medical school in Kentucky following completion of his undergraduate degree at Lincoln Memorial University. Sadly, the money lender who promised to finance his medical school education reneged on his promise. A very kind gentleman, Bert Bailey, who was a friend of mothers from Westtown School, loaned my dad the necessary funding.

Following graduation, my father set up a practice in Harlan, Ky. Additionally, upon graduation, California Medical State Board personnel were providing the opportunity for medical graduates to test and obtain a California Medical Certificate to practice medicine in California.

After setting up a practice in Harlan, my father eventually moved us to Louisville to work in public health. That did not last long and we were back in Harlan. I don’t remember the specifics but Burton Rogers contacted my dad to come help at PMSS. Another very short stay, and then a return to Harlan. In 1957, the coal industry was in decline which prompted a move (as suggested by fellow college mate Fred Russell) to Long Beach, California. Living in Long Beach and city living was not my father’s ideal so he moved back to Harlan leaving us in Long Beach. Eventually, my mother put her foot down and insisted he return to California to help raise me and my 3 younger sisters.

Barbara Jones, daughter

DR. TRACY JONES: Harlan County

Dr. Jones’ return to Harlan County was consistent with his deep empathy for the region and for the lives of miners and their families. It was no doubt this empathy that brought him together with Florence Jones who was providing social services to families in the county.

One instance of the kind of work that Dr. Jones engaged may be found in the decision rendered in the case of Yocum Creek Coal Co. v. [Berry] Jones. The case, tried in 1948, involved a miner who was seeking compensation for injuries sustained in the mine of Yocum Creek Coal Company. Berry Jones, the miner, was among many young and middle-aged men who sustained injuries in mining slate falls and other common mine accidents in the very active mining community of Harlan County. In 1948 there were 11 accidents involving roof-falls in Harlan County spread across nine mining companies, indicating the pervasive occurrence of these spontaneous and crushing mining accidents. The companies involved were Blue Diamond Coal, Mayflower Mine [2 accidents]; Crummies Creek Coal, #One [2 accidents]; Southern Harlan Coal; Harlan Fuel, Yancey Mine; Cornett Lewis Coal; Black Star Coal Corporation, Harlan #5; Consolidation Coal, Clover Splint. [Source MSHA]

As of 2019 May 22, the accidents continue. See the May 22 accident report of the Rex Coal Co. mine CVB#1 in Cumberland in which a miner was crushed by the unexpected collapse of a rib wall.

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See Also:
FLORENCE HOUGHTON JONES – Biography

BARBARA JONES Student File (Password Protected)
NOTE: Images of the full set of student records are considered private material and are not generally publicly displayed. Their access may be provided on request, pending approval of Pine Mountain Settlement School and the archivist of the PMSS Collections.Contact the main PMSS Office for information.

Return to: BIOGRAPHY – A-Z

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Title	Dr. Tracy Jones
Alt. Title	Tracy Jones ; Tracey Jones ; Ulysses Tracye Jones (as seen on Familysearch.com)
Identifier	https://pinemountainsettlement.net/?page_id=49683
Creator	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Alt. Creator	Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt
Subject Keyword	Dr. Tracy Jones ; Pine Mountain Settlement School ; doctors ; Florence Houghton Jones ; Lincoln Memorial University ; California Medical Certificate ; Zande House ; West Wind ; Burton Rogers ;
Subject LCSH	Jones, Dr. Tracy. Pine Mountain (Ky.) Settlement School — History. Harlan County (Ky.) — History. Education — Kentucky — Harlan County. Rural schools — Kentucky — History. Schools — Appalachian Region, Southern.
Date	2018-01-20 aae
Publisher	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Contributor	Barbara Jones Smith
Type	Collections ; text ; image ;
Format	Original and copies of documents and correspondence in file folders in filing cabinet.
Source	Series 09: Biography – Staff/Personnel
Language	English
Relation	Is related to: Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections, Series 09: Biography – Staff/Personnel
Coverage Temporal	1952 – 1955
Coverage Spatial	Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ; Louisville, KY; Long Beach, CA ; Harrogate, TN ;
Rights	Any display, publication or public use must credit the Pine Mountain Settlement School. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Donor	n/a
Description	Core documents, correspondence, writings and administrative papers created by or addressed to [Dr. Tracy Jones ; clippings, photographs, publications, illustrations by or about Dr. Tracy Jones.
Acquisition	n/d
Citation	“[Identification of Item],” [Collection Name] [Series Number, if applicable]. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY.
Processed By	Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt ;
Last Updated	2018-01-20 aae ; 2019-06-03 aae ; 2019-06-18 hhw ; 2023-09-07 aae ;
Bibliography
Sources	”Jones, Tracey (sic).” GUIDE PMSS WORKERS 1913-present. Series 09: Biography – Staff/Personnel. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY. Internet resource. “Tracy Jones.” HISTORY OF PMSS SUMMARY 1951-1952, 1952-1953, 1954-1955 ; MEDICAL, HEALTH & HYGIENE ; NOTES – 1953 ; ZANDE HOUSE. Series 09: Biography – Staff/Personnel. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY. Internet resource. Mine Accident and Fatality Resources MSHA’s Fatality Archive Database  This searchable database was created by the library as an index to its collection of fatality reports located in the Accident Investigation File Archives of the Technical Information Center and Library at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy.