MACON – Macon pediatrician Dr. John Paul Jones, a former Mercer University Trustee member and preceptor for the School of Medicine, recently won the prestigious Denmark Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was also recently named Physician of the Year for 2004 by the Bibb County Medical Society.
Dr. Jones, who opened his practice in Macon in 1948, has been a leader in pediatrics in Central Georgia for more than 50 years. Throughout his career, he has treated all types of childhood health problems including orthopedics, endocrinology, neonatology, oncology and hematology. He served as the first medical director of the Bibb County chapter of the National Polio Foundation and led mass community-wide vaccinations against polio and smallpox. Dr. Jones, who was the first medical director for Bibb County’s HeadStart program, served in that position for more than 20 years.
A native of Atlanta, Dr. Jones graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1941, and joined the Army Air Force after an internship in Augusta. Two of Dr. Jones’ sons and a daughter-in-law – David, Girard and Susan – as well as his grandchildren, Aimee and David Jr., are Mercer graduates.
Along with 11 other community leaders, Dr. Jones established Stratford Academy in 1959. He served as chairman of the board for three years, was active on the board for more than 20 years, and was the first chairman of Stratford’s Athletic Committee. For more than 30 years, the outstanding male and female senior athletes received a trophy named after Dr. Jones.
The Denmark Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to a Chapter member in recognition of the individual’s lifetime of work and contributions in pediatrics. The award is named after Dr. Leila Denmark, a 1922 graduate of Tift College. Dr. Denmark, a 106-year-old practicing physician, was the third woman to graduate from the Medical College of Georgia and the first intern at the Egleston Hospital for Children in Atlanta. Dr. Jones studied under Dr. Denmark during his residency at Grady Hospital.
About Mercer University and the School of Medicine:
Mercer University’s School of Medicine was established in 1982 to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Students entering Mercer University School of Medicine will be graduated from a school that utilizes a problem-based medical education program that provides early patient care experiences. Such an academic environment fosters the early development of clinical problem-solving and instills in each student an awareness of the place of the basic medical sciences in medical practice.
Founded in 1833, Mercer University has campuses in Macon and Atlanta as well as three regional academic centers. With 10 schools and colleges, the University offers programs in liberal arts, business, engineering, education, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law and theology. For 15 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has named Mercer University as one of the leading universities in the South.
