Hayes Jones

Hayes Wendell Jones (born August 4, 1938) is a former American athlete, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Born in Pontiac, Michigan, Hayes Jones was quite short for a hurdler (only 5 feet and 10 inches), but his outstanding speed, great start, and nearly perfect technique won him many championship titles.

Jones burst onto the international athletics scene by winning the convert|120|yd|abbr=on hurdles in 1958 AAU championships. He won four more AAU titles: 1960 and 1964 in 110 m hurdles and 1961 and 1963 in convert|120|yd|abbr=on hurdles.

In 1959, Jones, as an Eastern Michigan University representative, won the NCAA titles in convert|120|yd|abbr=on and convert|220|yd|abbr=on hurdles, following his first major international experience, when he won the 110 m hurdles at the Pan American Games.

A year later, at the Rome Olympics he was third behind teammates Lee Calhoun and Willie May, after which many observers believed he had reached his peak performance. But he returned to the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he won the gold medal and his teammate Blaine Lindgren won the silver. Jones also ran on a 4x100 m relay team that set a world record in 1961.

After retiring from competition, Jones became New York City's director of recreation in 1967. He has also worked in American Airlines and owned his own baggage check-in service at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. From January 2005 through March 2006, Jones served as the director of the Oakland County Department of Economic Development & Community Affairs.

In 2006 he left Oakland County to run for State Representative in Pontiac, Michigan to finish the term vacated by newly elected Pontiac Mayor Clarence Phillips and to win a full two year term starting in January, 2007. Jones was on the primary ballot twice; the first to finish the term left vacant by Phillips, and second, to be the Democratic candidate for the full two year term in the general election. Oddly Jones won the right to be the Democratic candidate for the remainder of the two months left on Phillips' term while Tim Melton will be the Democratic candidate for the full two year term.

On July 1, 2007 Jones assumed the position of General Manager of SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation), the public transit operator serving suburban Detroit, Michigan.

References

* [http://www.oakgov.com/about/news/pr_05_78.html Hayes Jones Announces Resignation as Oakland County Economic Development & Community Affairs Director]