Honorary Degree Recipient
Hubert E. Jones
Doctor of Humane Letters
Photo by Andy Dean
Hubert E. Jones (SSW’57) is dean emeritus of the Boston University School of Social Work. From 1977 to 1993, he served with great distinction as the school’s dean. BU’s annual Hubie Jones Lecture in Urban Health is named in his honor.
As a social worker and civic leader, Dean Jones played a major role in the formation, rebuilding, and leadership of many nonprofit service organizations in the Boston area. For 20 years, he appeared weekly on Five on Five—WCVB’s public affairs television program—discussing major local and national news events.
Before coming to BU, Dean Jones served as associate professor in the urban studies and planning department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also spent eight years as special assistant to the chancellor for urban affairs at the University of Massachusetts Boston. For seven months, he served as acting chancellor of Roxbury Community College to save it from collapse, and he was executive director of Roxbury Multi-Service Center for seven years, guiding residents safely through racialized violence and community upheaval.
Dean Jones earned his BA in sociology from the City College of New York and his MSW from BU School of Social Work. His lifelong dedication to helping others and his scholarship have been recognized nationally by numerous organizations, and he has received 10 honorary doctorates from universities and colleges around the United States.