A 43-year professor, administrator, and booster at William & Mary, Dr. W. Melville Jones (1901-1992) joined the College's English faculty in 1928 after serving as an instructor at Ohio State University (1924-1925) and the University of Richmond (1925-1928). As a faculty member in the Department of English, Dr. Jones served first as an assistant professor and, after earning his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1953, was named full professor in 1954 and chancellor professor in 1963. Dr. Jone's career took on a new aspect in the last two decades of his employment at William & Mary, as he served as Dean of the Faculty from 1958 to 1964, and Dean of the College from 1964 to 1968. When Virginia recognized William & Mary as a full university in 1968, Dr. Jones became the College's first vice president. His final position with the university was as Vice President of Academic Affairs. Upon his retirement in 1971, he was named Chancellor Professor of English, Emeritus. Dr. Jones was on leaves of absence in 1931-1932, Fall 1956, Spring 1957, and Fall 1957.