University of Alabama Receives Donation of 1,700-Piece Collection of African-American Art

The University of Alabama received a 1,700-piece collection of African-American art from Atlanta collector Paul R. Jones. The collection, which Jones began assembling in the 1960s, is valued at nearly $5 million.

The collection involves works from more than 600 different artists including Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, and Carrie Mae Weems.

Paul R. Jones was born in 1928 and was raised in the Muscoda Mining Camp of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company, a division of U.S. Steel, in Bessemer, Alabama. He attended Alabama State University but transferred to Howard University to complete his college education.

He served for 15 years in several positions in the federal government. He was also deputy director of the Peace Corps in Thailand.

Copyright © 2008. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.