Richard Mahlon Jones ’61

Portrait
Image
Body

Mahlon died of natural causes July 4, 2023, at his home in Evanston, Ill.

He was born in Evanston, the son of Richard Ward Jones and Miriam Dorothy Jones, and he came to us from Evanston Township High School. At Princeton, he majored in history, rowed lightweight crew, worked with Bric-a-Brac and the Nassau Herald, and took his meals at the Woodrow Wilson Society. He roomed with Contee Seely, Bill Rough, Dick Webster, Hal Lackey, Chuck Watson, Russ Tremaine, and Bill Buxton. He was especially close to Bill Buxton.

Following Princeton, Mahlon earned a master’s degree in history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and was an ABD in its Ph.D. program when he decided that “teaching and research were not for me.” He then embarked on a career in selling rare books and musical scores, largely on the internet, and he was still at it when he died.

Never married, Mahlon is survived by his brother, Lawrence; sister Judith; one nephew, two nieces, and their children.

No responses yet

Join the conversation

Plain text

Full name and Princeton affiliation (if applicable) are required for all published comments. For more information, view our commenting policy. Responses are limited to 500 words for online and 250 words for print consideration.

Paw in print

Image
The October 2025 cover of PAW, featuring an illustration of a woman dressed like Superman, but the S on her chest is a dollar sign.
The Latest Issue

October 2025

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott ’92; President Eisgruber ’83 defends higher ed; Julia Ioffe ’05 explains Russia.