CLARENCE  T.  JONES

One can deduce the motivation of Clarence Jones from the very beginning of his membership in the society. His visiting paper was on the great photographic telescope then being constructed by George W. Ritchey. The death of President Langston had passed the chair again to Dr. McCallie on January 26,1932. He convened the ninety second meeting at the Jones home at 210 Glinwood Drive where Clarence Jones demonstrated his newly constructed six inch Newtonian reflector.

It was the first of many instruments leading to a twelve inch reflector which was to become the prime instrument for the McCallie School Observatory.

The Barnard Astronomical Society of 1932 embodied some fifty five members. All would come to be inspired by Clarence T. Jones and his sons. He was elected president at the ninety eighth meeting of the society at the University of Chattanooga on December 27, 1932.  Although the idea of producing a large telescope and observatory was above all else in the minds of the society members, it was he who became the force needed to produce this great dream.

A special meeting on February 2, 1935 produced a funding petition to be brought before local philanthropic organizations and to be published in The Chattanooga Times Forum by Dr. J. Park McCallie. Those present were Mr. Arthur Brading, Mr.  W.  P.  Delaney, Rev. R. C. Jahns,  President Clarence T. Jones, Secretary Paul S. Lewis, Dr. J. Park McCallie and Mr. W. H. Wilson.

It is a fitting note that at the prior meeting of January 23, 1935 a motion carried that elected Dr. Annetta Trimble the first lifetime member in the society she had named.