  GLENN R. JONES
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
JONES INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
JONES INTERCABLE, INC.
JONES KNOWLEDGE GROUP
Glenn R. Jones, often referred to as "the poet of technology," purchased his
first cable television system in 1967 with $400 borrowed against his Volkswagen. Since
then, his company Jones Intercable, Inc. has become one of the ten largest cable
television operators in the United States, and has been the springboard for Mr. Jones'
creation of a number of innovative enterprises, among them, Knowledge TVÔ , Jones International University, The University of the WebÔ , the Global Alliance for Transnational Education (GATE),
Ô Great American CountryÔ ,
Jones Radio NetworkÔ , Jones Entertainment Group,
Ltd., Jones Cyber Solutions, Ltd., and the International Community College. His
pragmatic yet visionary approach to the telecommunications business has earned him the
reputation of "the entrepreneur's entrepreneur."
In 1961, after graduating from the University of Colorado Law School, Mr. Jones began
his career in cable by representing cable companies in their acquisition efforts across
the country. In 1964, Mr. Jones put his career on hold to run for the U.S. Congress in
Colorado's First Congressional District (Denver). He was defeated, returned to lawyering
in mountain towns, and set his sights on acquiring his first cable system.
That he did in 1967, when he persuaded the owner of the Georgetown, Colo. cable system
to accept $1,000 down on a purchase price of $12,000. Mr. Jones raised the down payment by
borrowing against his Volkswagen and collecting the remaining money from those of the
system's 100 subscribers who had delinquent accounts.
Realizing that the key to success in cable was financing for the capital-intensive task
of buying equipment and supporting the negative cash flows occasioned during the
construction phase of new systems, Mr. Jones became the first in the industry to organize
public limited partnerships to raise capital to finance cable acquisitions. In 1970, Jones
Intercable, Inc. was formed to serve as the vehicle for the limited partnerships. His
partnerships raised more than $1 billion for the purchase of cable properties. Larger
competitors' adoption of his limited partnership financing strategy has further
authenticated Mr. Jones' innovative business approach.
In 1987, he founded cable network and distance learning company Mind Extension
University (ME/U): The Education Network. ME/U served as a global electronic campus,
providing access to courses and degree programs from dozens of leading colleges and
universities, including California State University at Dominguez Hills, The George
Washington University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and University of
Delaware. During the following decade, Mr. Jones’ vision for bending communications
technology into the service of education branched into numerous business activities.
They include Knowledge TV, a 24-hour cable and satellite television channel that
provides useful, personally relevant news and information focusing on the important
"need to know" subjects for adults today: health, money and technology. Its
sister company, The Knowledge Store, is a virtual store that is accessible
around the clock via telephone and the Internet, offering quality,
brand-name learning products from leading experts.
The Jones Knowledge Group continues Mr. Jones’ commitment to provide global
access to higher education. Its College Connection unit serves as an online
resource for adults who cannot attend classes in person, linking them with the courses and
degree programs required for their professional advancement. To increase the number of
academic programs available to this growing population of adult learners, Mr. Jones
established e-education, a company that provides the software, technical
support and training that colleges and universities require in order to become
"Cyberschools," the title of one of his recent books.
Mr. Jones founded the world’s first true cyberschool, Jones International
University: The University of the Web, in 1995. Jones International University was the
first academic institution created from the ground up for the Internet. It is the first
school with a "virtual" campus accepted into candidacy for regional
accreditation, from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the same
accreditation agency for such prestigious universities as Northwestern, Ohio State and the
University of Colorado.
In 1995, Mr. Jones founded the Global Alliance for Transnational Education (GATE)
and currently serves as that organization's Chairman. GATE is dedicated to fostering
access to quality higher education resources on a global basis, focusing on transnational
education.
Through Jones Entertainment Group, Ltd. he has produced several movies including
The Secret of Roan Inish (directed by award-winning director John Sayles),
Household Saints, The Whipping Boy, The Story Lady and The Little Kidnappers,
starring such notable actors as Charlton Heston, Jessica Tandy, Tracey Ullman, Vincent
D’Onofrio and George C. Scott. In addition, he has produced various CD-ROM’s
including Charlton Heston's Voyage Through The Bible and the Jones
Telecommunications and Multimedia Encyclopedia.
Mr. Jones was born in 1930 in Jackson Center, Pennsylvania. He earned an undergraduate
degree in economics from Allegheny College, and did a stint in the U.S. Navy, principally
as an underwater bomb disposal officer. He then obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the
University of Colorado School of Law. He completed an Executive Program at Stanford
Business School in 1973. In 1985, he received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters
(L.H.D.) from Allegheny College, and in 1992, an honorary Doctor of Education degree from
Regis University. In 1994, Mr. Jones received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from
Heidelberg College. He is a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee
for the National Cable Television Association (NCTA). Additionally, Mr. Jones has served
on the Board of Governors for the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD),
and is currently on the Board and Education Council of the National Alliance of Business
(NAB). Mr. Jones is also one of the founding members of the James Madison National
Council, the first national advisory body in the 190-year history of the Library of
Congress.
In August 1989, the Cable Television Administration and Marketing Society (CTAM)
awarded Mr. Jones its Grand Tam Award for being "a man of vision who has made
an enormous contribution to this industry by furthering our quest for excellence." In
March 1990, Mr. Jones was awarded the Cable Television Public Affairs Association President's
Award in recognition of Jones International's educational efforts through Mind
Extension University (now Knowledge TV), the educational cable network that delivered
college-level courses for credit in conjunction with more than twenty respected colleges
and universities. In March 1991, Women in Cable and Telecommunications awarded Mr. Jones
its first Cableforce 2000 Accolade in recognition of Jones Intercable's innovative
employee programs. In April 1993 Mr. Jones received the Most Outstanding Corporate
Individual Achievement Award from the International Distance Learning
Conference (IDLCON) for his contributions to distance education. In September 1993, Mr.
Jones received the Donald G. McGannon Award for the advancement of
minorities and women in the media from the United Church of Christ Office of
Communications. In June of 1994 he was honored for his advances in distance education with
the Golden Plate Award given by the American Academy of Achievement. In October
1994, the Denver chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) named
Mr. Jones its "Man of the Year", and in November 1994, Mr. Jones was inducted
into Broadcasting and Cable's Hall of Fame.
Mr. Jones is the author of the Jones Cable Television and Information Infrastructure
Dictionary, Make All America a SchoolÔ , Cyberschools:
An Education RenaissanceÔ , and Free Market FusionÔ (1999), as well as several volumes of poetry.
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