As far back as the 1896 formation of Hamden’s first fire volunteer fire company in Highwood, volunteer firefighters of African-American descent had served the Hamden community. However, it was not until the early 1960s that an African American was first appointed to serve as a career member of the department.
Samuel Augustus Jones was born in Beaufort, North Carolina on November 4, 1925. A graduate of Knoxville College, he came to Hamden in 1957 to work at the Seamless Rubber Company. He also owned and operated a successful floor refinishing company. In late 1960, Sam applied to become a member of the Hamden Fire Department. On May 8, 1961, the three-man Hamden Board of Fire Commissioners unanimously appointed him as Hamden’s first African-American career Hamden firefighter.
Throughout his entire career with the department, Sam Jones proved to be an outstanding firefighter, a hard worker, and a good friend to his colleagues. One of Sam’s passions was the game of chess, at which he was a formidable opponent to anyone who dared to play him.
After nearly 30 years of service in the Hamden Fire Department, Sam Jones retired on November 30, 1990. Shortly thereafter, he and his wife Elaine moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. Sam passed away there in October 2015, just six days shy of his 90th birthday. He was survived by his wife Elaine and his son, Kenneth, a career firefighter in East Point, Georgia. Sam was predeceased in 1974 by his first wife, the former Penelope Smart.
CLICK HERE - "Sam Jones was a Pioneer," posted May 22, 2011.
Posted 1/21/2021
