Rendering of Jones Hall (From Ole Miss)
- The university plans to name the new 100,000-square-foot facility Jones Hall in honor of the donor.
Ole Miss announced this week that Jonathan B. Jones, CEO of Jones Capital, has granted $10 million toward construction of a new academic home for the university’s Patterson School of Accountancy.
Jones is a first-generation college graduate, earning his degree from the university in 2004.
If approved by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the new $125 million Oxford facility will be named Jones Hall in honor of the gift.
According to Ole Miss, Jones Hall will be a 100,000-square-foot building constructed at the corner of University Avenue and Grove Loop.
“The naming is meaningful to me because the Patterson School is the No. 1 college program in Mississippi as far as national rankings,” said Jones in a statement from the university. “We have a chance to strengthen the Patterson School, for it to be a shining light, the tip of the spear for the university’s national recognition.
The Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi is ranked 8th nationally among the best accounting schools in America.
Mark Wilder, accountancy dean at Ole Miss, called the gift the most “significant and consequential” in the school’s history.
“Their support will encourage higher levels of excellence for future generations of accountancy students, professionals and business leaders,” Wilder said in a statement. “We greatly appreciate their investment in our university and school – and we are honored to have the Jones name on our new academic home.”
In 2022, it was announced that Jones Capital, a private equity firm, was building a new corporate headquarters facility in Hattiesburg, investing $40 million in the project and creating more than 200 jobs.
Jones Capital began over 70 years ago as Jones Lumber Company in southwest Mississippi. In 2018, the company shifted to Jones Capital with their portfolio of companies including Big Black River, Codaray Construction, FV Recycling, Jones Logistics, Jones Lumber, Jones Power, Parade, PortaBull Fuel, PortaBull Storage, Rockport Terminals, Spot and Tax Advisors Group.
The company employs more than 1,600 people worldwide.
As the CEO, Jonathan Jones has been recognized as the 2022 Boardman Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year by the College of Business and Economic Development at The University of Southern Mississippi, a Top 40 Under 40 by the Mississippi Business Journal, a Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Diversified and Industrial Products, and more.
