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Jackson resident is geology professor turned world traveler
That's exactly what Jackson resident Michael Jones has been doing since he retired from teaching in 2005. A geologist, Jones is also a history buff. "One overlaps the other," he said. "Geology is prehistory." Born in Powder Springs, Ga., which is just north of Atlanta, Jones said growing up he had one of three choices, become a farmer, runner or a scientist. "I enjoyed science, so I chose the latter," he said. Jones received his education from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., where he earned a bachelor's degree in education, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he received his master's in geology. He has also earned credits from eight additional institutions of higher learning. When he was a graduate student, Jones began teaching parttime at the University of Tennessee in Nashville. Once he received his master's degree, he was offered a teaching position at Lee College in Baytown, Texas.
While in the field students learned the connection between geology, history and archaeology. "All transcend one another," he said. Jones spent 27-1/2 years as a professor at Lee College, before retiring and moving to Clarke County to be near relatives. His cousin Gene Clark is a teacher at Clarke County High School and the family owns land near Thomasville. Since retiring, Jones has spent time visiting and revisiting some of his old colleagues across the U.S. and working on geological projects that interest him. One of those projects included geologically mapping the trail that runs through Tennessee's South Cumberland State Park. "My work is also my hobby," he explained. "So, if you ask me what I enjoy doing, there's your answer."
Some of his travels have taken him to South America. He's been hiking in Costa Rica and took a cruise out of Argentina to Antarctica. Most recently he spent five weeks visiting a number of countries in Scandinavia. But, Jones favorite place on Earth is Big Bend National Park in Texas. "I have been there 29 times and will probably go back again," he said. "I spent last November there rafting, canoeing and camping. When I was teaching I took my students there a number of times. It is a beautiful area and I never grow tired of visiting there." During his last visit to Big Bend, Jones helped judge a chili cooking contest. "That was fun," he said. "I would rinse my mouth out with water between each tasting, so my palate would be clean. We rated each one 1- 10, and it wasn't easy because there were some very good entries."
One of those things included spending Christmas with his two brothers who still live in Georgia. "It had been 40 years since we had done that," he said. "I enjoyed it very much." Retirement has not meant slowing down a bit for Jones. The main difference now is that he does exactly what he wants to when he wants to do it. "They say the best time to find a job is when you already have one," he said. "That's not always true. In my case, it's when you don't have one. I have had seven unsolicited offers since I retired."
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