BUSSW Dean Emeritus Hubie Jones, a Leader, Scholar & Activist, Celebrates 90th Birthday 

As BUSSW Dean Emeritus Hubie Jones celebrates his 90th birthday on December 13, 2023, we reflect on a life that can teach us more than any textbook.  

Hubie Jones (’57), School of Social Work dean from 1977 to 1993, helped shape Boston’s civic landscape for over forty-five years, playing an integral role in community organizations throughout Boston and within the city’s African American population.

As associate and executive director at Roxbury Multi-Service Center in 1967, his Task Force on Children Out of School (now Massachusetts Advocacy Center) published the report The Way We Go to School: The Exclusion of Children in Boston, which led to the first-in-the-nation enactment of two landmark laws that focused on special education and bi-lingual education.

In 2010, Jones received the Purpose Prize, a national honor awarded to select individuals over 60 who carry out encore careers and use their skills and experience to make a difference in their communities.

In 2012, an anonymous donor set up The Hubie Jones Lecture in Urban Health to honor the vision of Hubie Jones. The annual symposium addresses vexing health issues, featuring national and international leaders working at the intersection of health and social justice communities and the nation. 

The Center for Collaborative Leadership (CCL) at UMass Boston honored Jones with the Building a Better Boston Award in 2018, recognizing Boston leaders who have exhibited lifelong dedication to community involvement and social change. CCL described Jones as “one of the most influential scholars and activists for the underrepresented communities in Massachusetts.”

In 2021, Jones gave an inspiring commencement address via Zoom to the BUSSW graduating class as they completed their education journey despite the challenges of the global pandemic.

In a profile in BU Today, it was noted that “Jones spent the last half-century living out his belief that social work as a profession not only helps people and families, but it has a commitment to social change and social action, so he translated scholarship into civic action as a leader, bridge-builder, and fearless advocate for urban children and racial equality in the city of Boston.”

The Boston Globe, in honor of Black History Month in 2022, took a look back at the historic investigative report led by Jones that exposed widespread exclusionary practices in Boston Public Schools, recognizing that he organized a task force that changed education nationwide.

Alumni and friends are encouraged to continue Hubie’s legacy through donations to the Hubie Jones Fund for Urban Social Work Practice which provides scholarships that help deserving students pursue an MSW degree, as well as research and programs in service of BU School of Social Work’s mission. To donate, visit the Hubie Jones Fund here.

His many professional milestones are shared on the HistoryMakers website, a digital repository for the Black experience.

Read more about Jones’ numerous achievements here.