SLS 19RS-1117 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 85
BY SENATOR JOHNS
COMMENDATIONS. Commends former Senator Robert Gambrell "Bobby" Jones upon
the celebration of his 80
th
Birthday.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend and congratulate Robert Gambrell "Bobby" Jones upon the celebration of his
3 eightieth birthday.
4 WHEREAS, Robert Gambrell "Bobby" Jones was born on May 9, 1939, to Sam
5 Houston Jones and the former Louise Gambrell Boyer; and
6 WHEREAS, Bobby Jones was a year old when his father became the forty-sixth
7 governor of Louisiana in 1940 and he therefore spent his early childhood years in the
8 governor's mansion in Baton Rouge; and
9 WHEREAS, the Joneses returned to Lake Charles in 1944 so Bobby grew up in Lake
10 Charles, graduating from Lake Charles High School in 1956; and
11 WHEREAS, following a year at LSU, Bobby Jones obtained a Bachelor of Science
12 degree in chemical engineering from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1960 and was
13 then accepted into the MBA program at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts; and
14 WHEREAS, in 1961, he wed his high school sweetheart, the former Sarah Quinn,
15 also from Lake Charles; he received his MBA in 1962, and the couple returned to Lake
16 Charles to work in the brokerage business; and
17 WHEREAS, in the summer of 1962, Bobby Jones joined regional brokerage firm
18 Kohlmeyer & Company in its Lake Charles office, which was later absorbed by Thomson
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1 McKinnon Securities, then became Prudential Securities, then Wachovia Securities, and now
2 Wells Fargo Advisors; and
3 WHEREAS, nevertheless, he has had the same home phone number and work phone
4 number since 1962; and
5 WHEREAS, Bobby Jones, at twenty-eight, was elected to the Louisiana House of
6 Representatives in the 1967-1968 election cycle, one of five Democrats in an at-large
7 delegation from Calcasieu and Cameron parishes, and became a leader of the group dubbed
8 by the media as the "Young Turks", a group of House members who worked to bring about
9 reform and legislative independence at the Louisiana House of Representatives; and
10 WHEREAS, Bobby was appointed to the Board of First Federal Savings and Loan
11 in 1968 and he continues to serve today as chairman of the Investment Committee; and
12 WHEREAS, in 1972, Rutgers University's Institute of Politics named Jones one of
13 the two best state legislators in the nation and was also named the Lake Charles "Man of the
14 Year"; and
15 WHEREAS, he left the House of Representatives after a single term when he was
16 elected to the Senate for the 1972-1976 term; and
17 WHEREAS, Governor Treen appointed Bobby Jones to the Louisiana Racing
18 Commission, on which he served from 1980 to 1984; and
19 WHEREAS, from 2008 to 2014, he served on the Louisiana Gaming Control Board
20 by appointment from Governor Bobby Jindal; and
21 WHEREAS, the success of the state of Louisiana, the strength of our communities,
22 and the overall vitality of American society depend in great measure upon people like Bobby
23 Jones, an exceptional gentleman and an inspiration to all; and
24 WHEREAS, Bobby Jones merits a special measure of commendation for his singular
25 contributions and his exemplary accomplishments as he is lauded and recognized on the
26 historic celebration of the eight extraordinary decades during which he has graced Louisiana
27 and the world with his presence.
28 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
29 does hereby commend and congratulate Robert Gambrell "Bobby" Jones upon the occasion
30 of his eightieth birthday, recognize that he exemplifies all that is good about Louisiana,
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1 record the extraordinary life he has lived in the eight decades since his birth, express
2 enduring gratitude for the singular contributions he has made to his family, friends,
3 community, and state, and does hereby extend to him every good wish for continued
4 happiness in the years to come.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
6 Robert Gambrell "Bobby" Jones.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 85 Original 2019 Regular Session Johns
Commends Robert Gambrell "Bobby" Jones upon the occasion of his 80th birthday.
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