Mike Reed
On June 5, 2007, Nashville Bank & Trust sponsored a panel discussion called "The Lighter Side of Nashville's Business Past." Eddie Jones was one of the panelists. He recalled some interesting anecdotes about Nashville business icons.
The first story is about the rivalry between Andrew Benedict's First American Bank and ...Bill Earthman's Commerce Union Bank that played out in the banks' executive dining rooms. The second details an evening when the board of U.S. Steel came to Nashville for a meeting and Andrew Benedict and Sam Fleming competed to impress the visiting officers. The final story is about how Sam Fleming got Marquette Cement to move their corporate headquarters to Nashville by convincing a condo to change its dog policy.
The video is a wide shot without much variation, but the audio is excellent.
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On June 5, 2007, Nashville Bank & Trust sponsored a panel discussion called "The Lighter Side of Nashville's Business Past." Among the panelists was Nashville legend Eddie Jones (1924-2009) who recalled some interesting anecdotes about Nashville business icons. ...
Eddie Jones: Memories on film Late Banner editor recalls a life well lived in excerpts from video interview conducted last year http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2009/4/7/eddie_jones_memories_on_film
Jimmy I've enjoyed listening to Mr. Eddie tell so many of his amazing life stories. I remember the perspective he brought to our office on 9/11 when he compared the looks on our faces to the looks he saw on December 7, 1941. I remember his WWII story of being forced to execute a “belly up” landing in a wheat field and how ...he laid low until a friendly tank came by to give him a ride back to base. Stories of how he skateboarded around the state capital and tested the “hot phone” installed prior to JFK’s visit to Nashville in 1963. I loved that when Mr. Eddie typed you a message, he TYPED you a message - on yellow paper. I loved when Mr. Eddie walked into my office to “discuss technology.” Which usually resulted in an opportunity to visit his home to set up DVD players, hook-up printers or test Internet connections. I am honored to call one of the most honorable men I have ever known my friend. Mr. Eddie represents why his generation was and is the greatest.
Cynthia When I was a young pregnant new employee and waddling around the buildings - which were undergoing renovation and often hazardous- he always stopped me and asked how I was doing. Very sweet, sincere guy.
Jan When the first Gulf War broke out, we were struggling to bring a local angle to the story. Eddie brought me his World War II photo scrapbook, and I spent a good week swooning over the shots of him in his bomber jacket, lolling about the Italian villa he stayed at between missions. Oh, I wrote a few stories too. Greatest generation, indeed.
Roger Shirley
I didn't know Eddie as well as many of you, but it never seemed like that when I was around him, which is what made Eddie, Eddie. When we spoke to each other we always had a good laugh. Every time. ... I remember, not long after I went to Nashville Business Journal from the Banner, when Eddie was running for mayor, we ...(NBJ) endorsed him. We went to press Friday night for the Monday edition. On Monday, Eddie announced his decision to withdraw from the race. My first reaction was: "I can't believe this." My second reaction was to laugh. After all, it was Eddie.
He was a great man, defined by the kind of person everyone is always happy to see -- because of what he knew, what he had to say, and that laugh.
Here's to you, Eddie Jones.
Valerie Eddie memories...what a sweet man and true gentleman. I never opened a door or pulled my own chair out when he was around. Eddie had these (possibly corduroy) pants that had tiny labrador retrievers all over them. These were worn on special occasions or on Thursdays. Eddie always looked like a million bucks. He kept hi...s desk drawers locked and I think we all assumed he either held top governmental documents or perhaps a piece of Jimmy Hoffa in there. One time, Eddie was on vacation and we needed something that was thought to have possibly been contained within his desk. After attaining some keys, the first drawer was opened and contained a few benign office supplies (letter opener, stamps, etc.). The next two drawers contained various snacks, candy bars, chips, etc. The secret was out. Goodbye, Mr. Eddie. The angels are enjoying a beautiful smile and a clickety-clack tonight.
Tony Richardson
Eddie was someone who left quite an impression on me. During my 3 years as a DVLer, I found myself often sharing a smoke with Eddie. Though we were generations apart, and polar opposites, Eddie made no hint towards it. Almost from the start we hit it off and shared many laughs about the state of the world and the state... of the waterfall in the DVL courtyard. Over the course of my years at DVL, I made sometimes daily trips to his office to pop in, wake him up and say hello. Eddie was among a generation we are losing at a rate of 6,000 per day. True heros who selflessly exchanged their lives for the freedom of the world in their time. The character of that generation shined through Eddie every day. Of all the times I saw him over the years, I never once was greeted with a frown or a lack of time for a simple "hello, how are you young man."
Goodbye Eddie and Godspeed.
John Van Mol Eddie was remarkable. Wise. A great friend. And we had a deal. The deal was that as long as he wanted to be working at Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence, we wanted him there. And whenever it wasn't fun, or challenging, or interesting, he would be free to leave, no questions asked. But we wanted him there. Thank God he st...ayed as long as he did. All of us are far richer for it. And we hope to keep his old Royal manual typewriter in his office, as the centerpiece to what will become the Eddie Jones Conference Room.
Jeff I first met Eddie while working at Holder Kennedy, which had the chamber account when Eddie was there. Eddie and Hal were great friends. Holder Kennedy later ran Eddie's campaign for mayor. The best part of that campaign was the black cardboard eyeglasses we handed out as campaign swag - big black plastic glasses bein...g Eddie's trademark. He was never a slave to fashion. Just last Friday, I was telling the new PR director at the chamber about Eddie Jones and the old days at the chamber. That was when the Watauga Group was still in full swing and Eddie used to tell the story about how Sam Fleming or Bill Earthman or another of those benevolent dictators at Watauga used to courier notes over to Eddie from their meetings - telling him they wanted to build an airport or renovate downtown or some other big idea. As the chamber exec, Eddie could not officially be a member of Watauga, but he made sure that he kept in the loop. I've never known anybody who more epitomized being in the loop.
Catherine Chapin Mayhew Now it can be told. After the Banner folded, Eddie's outlet for slipping news tips to reporters was severely compromised. But he had always been buddies with myself and Gail Kerr, at the time both editors at The Tennessean. So one day, I get a call at the office and the voice on the other end of the phone says, "This i...s the downtown bureau." It was Eddie calling from Dye Van Mol with a news tip. After I left The Tennessean and my short career at a dot.com ended, it was Eddie who connected me with Brian Brown, the founder of The City Paper. As editor for five years, I very much enjoyed hearing "This is the downtown bureau" on the other end of the line. Eddie was a newsman's newsman. And his tips were always right on target.
Trebor Banstetter When Cree Lawson and I turned in a business story on Nashville's "adult entertainment" industry, Eddie gave it a careful read and then told us that while it was solid, it lacked color. He told us to go to petty cash, get a few hundred bucks and he didn't want to see us again until we'd gone to every strip joint in town... and talked to as many girls as possible. (To this day Cree can do a drop-dead perfect imitation of Eddie giving us these orders.) The end result was a dramatically-improved story, a TAPME investigative reporting award and a very long conversation with HR trying to explain that particular expense report. "Honestly, Eddie Jones told us to spend the money there! No, we don't have receipts ... "
Pat Embry "Eddie very much enjoyed conversation, loved holding court, and his Banner office next to mine was a favored between-deadlines spot. Craig Leipold, then the owner of newly introduced Nashville Predators, was gracious enough to accept an invitation to the staff's annual holiday luncheon potluck (what turned out to be ou...r last before the paper folded a couple of months later). Leipold filled a plate of food and joined Mr. Russell -- the Banner's legendary sports editor, Fred Russell, who to this day I can refer to as nothing but Mr. Russell many years after his passing -- in Eddie's office. With very little begging from Eddie and me, who had practically memorized the stories by now, Mr. Russell proceeded to regale us one last time with his infamous practical jokes, and personal tales about his buddies Jack Dempsey, Bobby Jones, Red Grange and Bear Bryant. We laughed until we cried, as always, and Leipold practically choked on his baked ham, giggling."
