Lodrick M. Jones

Name:	Lodrick M. Jones
Born:	1850-04-28
Died:	1922-12-07
Nationality:	United States
Occupation:	Superintendent

Dr. Lodrick Matthew Jones was born in Twiggs County, Georgia on 1850-04-28. His parents were Thomas H. and Martha Tharp Jones. He attended Mercer University and upon graduation taught public school in Twiggs County. He studied medicine under Dr. William O’Daniel and graduated from Atlanta Medical College in 1878. He was in private practice in Wilkinson County until 1883 when he became an assistant physician of the Georgia State Sanitarium.

In 1907, he became the Superintendent upon the death of Dr. Powell. He was not the original choice for the position though, that honor goes to Dr. J.M. Whittaker, a protege of Dr. Powell. However, by the time Powell's death he was already quite old himself and therefore the trustees asked Jones if he would take the position. Jones was reluctant, he had been a physician at the hospital for 24 years, but agriculture was his real interest.

This interest in agriculture was one primary points of criticism of his tenure. In the early years of tenure the hospital was undergoing an epidemic of tuberculosis. The need for a tuberculosis hospital was obvious, but Jones used hospital funds to renovate the hospital's dairy. A report issued in 1910, the conclusion of an investigation begun during Powell's administration, criticised the decision. Jones defended the decision on the grounds that the money was allocated for upkeep rather than the construction of new buildings.

He served in that position until he died in 1922-12-07, he was succeeded by Dr. Roger C. Swint.