Andrew J Jolly Sr.
Kentucky Post, 25 July 1925 page 1
Campbell-co. Representative Suffers With Typhoid Fever
Condition of A J Jolly, Campbell-co. state representative, who is critically ill of typhoid fever at his home in Mentor, Ky. was reported to be slightly improved by members of his family Saturday. Two trained nurses have been engaged by the family to attend Jolly.
Jolly is a candidate for re-election at the coming election. He is widely known in educational circles, being a publisher of a teachers' magazine.
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The Kentucky Post, Thursday, 6 August
1925, page 1
Funeral Date is Set
Democrat Leaders Must Name New Candidate
A J Jolly, 43, state representative and Democratic nominee for re-election from the Sixty-sixth District is dead after an illness of three weeks. Funeral services will be held from his home Saturday at 10 am (standard time) followed by services at the Mentor Baptist Church with Rev J T Daugherty, pastor of the Ludlow Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in the Grand View Cemetery.
Representative Jolly had been suffering of an attack of typhoid fever and was believed to have been recovering. Tuesday night he suffered a heart attack, which proved fatal. He died 3 o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
He Had No Opposition
He had served in the State Legislature for two years and was a candidate for re-election on the Democratic ticket. He had no opposition in Saturday's primaries. The death of Representative Jolly leaves the Democratic party without a candidate for the Sixty-sixth District. The Campbell County Democratic Executive Committee will have the task of finding a likely candidate to succeed Jolly
Jolly was born in Campbell-co. He was well known in educational circles throughout the state and served two years as assistant state superintendent of schools during the term of Governor A O Stanley.
Taught School
He was manager of the Ohio Valley Teachers Agency, owner of Southern School Journal and owner of the A J Jolly School Supply Co. He taught school for many years in Campbell-co, California Bedford and Augusta Ky. schools. Jolly was a member of the Eagles Red Men and Mayo Lodge of Masons, of California, Ky. He was a member of the National Educational Association.
He is survived by his father, E M Jolly, Mentor postmaster; his mother, widow and two sons, 15 and 2 years old.
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The Kentucky Post, Saturday, 8 August 1925, page 2
Rites Held For A J Jolly, Governor Attends Funeral of Legislator
A J Jolly, state representative from the Sixty-sixth District, who died Wednesday, was placed in his last resting place Saturday. With bowed heads the huge throng, which had gathered to witness the funeral, watched as the remains of the prominent Democrat were borne from the residence at Mentor to Grand View Cemetery.
Governor William J Fields, who was present, delivered brief eulogy. Services were conducted at the Mentor Baptist Church, of which the representative had been a member for many years. Political differences were forgotten and Republicans and Democrats joined in paying their last respects to one who had been ever thoughtful in his duties to the people.
Services were conducted at 10 o'clock with Rev J T Daugherty, pastor of the Ludlow Baptist Church, officiating. Pallbearers were: A A McCrone, E S Daniel, Fred Williams, Andrew Turner, George Reed and Eugene Williams. Honorary pallbearers were: Judge William C Buten, Sheriff Louis B Tieman, Jacob Roll, Mayor Chester W Dorsey of Bellevue and H S Cox, Covington school superintendent.
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The following was submitted 15
December 2018 by Richard McCormick
The Southern School Journal August and September 1925
He was publisher & manager before his death
His bio published in this issue:
The present issue of the Southern School Journal marks the passing of its owner and editor, the Hon. A. J. Jolly.
On August 5th, after a three weeks’ illness of typhoid fever, Professor Jolly passed away at his home, Mentor, Ky., which is located in a beautiful section of the Ohio Valley, about twenty-five miles east of Newport, Campbell County.
Professor A. J. Jolly , who was a son of E. M. and A. E. Jolly, was born May 5, 1882, at Mentor, Ky. He received his early education in the city schools of Bellevue and Dayton and the rural school of Beech Grove. Ky. His secondary education was received at the River View Select Normal School, located at Mentor, Ky., and conducted by the late Rev. N.C. Pettit. Later in life he graduated from the Lebanon Teachers’ College at Lebanon, Ohio.
Professor Jolly’s first teaching experience was in the rural schools of Campbell County. In these few years of rural school work, he was recognized as one of the very best teachers of Campbell County. In his two years’ work as Principal of the Beech Grove School the educational interest was greater than ever was known before in that community, and following the regular school term he conducted a summer normal, which through inspiring teaching and untiring work turned out several teachers who have made enviable records in the commonwealth of Kentucky. Professor Jolly’s work in his home county advertised him extensively, consequently he was elected to the Principal-ship of the Bedford High School of Trimble County, Ky. This position he had for four years, conducting summer normal after the close of the regular school term.
He then was called to the Superintendence of the schools at Monticello, Ky. This position he held for about two years and resigned because of failure in health. After recuperating his health, Professor Jolly reenlisted in the school service and was called to the Superintendence of the Augusta (Ky.) schools, which position he held for about four successful years. Larger fields demanding his services, he was called to the State Department of Education by Hon. V.O. Gilbert, who then was Superintendent of Public Instruction. At this time, he acted in the capacity of Assistant State superintendent and retired at the end of the administration. He was then put in charge of the War Stamp Commission of the state of Kentucky, with headquarters at Louisville. In this capacity he served for two years.
Since that time his attention has been turned to personal affairs and business, whereat at the time of his death he was the owner and manager of the Ohio Valley Teachers’ Agency, located at Mentor, Ky. This agency through his efforts during the past fifteen years has grown to be one of the largest and most efficient agencies in the United States. He was well equipped for this work because of his wide acquaintance among school people and school officials. It is safe to say that Professor Jolly was personally acquainted with more Superintendents, teachers and Boards of Education than any other educator in the state of Kentucky. It was not only this personal acquaintance which enabled him to render valuable services as a manager of a Teachers” Bureau, but his thorough knowledge of the school system of the State enabled him to render a real service to both the teachers and the communities in which he placed his teachers.
At the time of Mr. Jolly’s death, he was owner and editor of the Southern School Journal, which was purchase d by him about the time of the first issue of 1925. The readers of the Journal have had an opportunity to see the policy of the Journal under the new management, which was to stand by the State department of Education, the State educational institutions and the Kentucky Educational Association in their efforts to advance education in Kentucky. As an editor of the School Journal, Mr. Jolly was especially well equipped, because of his training, his actual teaching experience, his administrative ability, his wide acquaintance with school authorities, and in addition a keen insight to the analysis of school problems. In the death of Professor Jolly, the school has lost a valuable friend as an editor.
Professor Jolly was also owner and manager of the A. J. Jolly School Supply, located at Mentor, Ky., which concern gave promise of rapid growth through the timely thought and work of its manager. In connection with his other arduous tasks, Professor Jolly was at the time of his death a member of the General Assembly of Kentucky, representing the Sixty-sixth Legislative District, which comprised Campbell County outside of Newport. He was re-nominated in the August primary to succeed himself, just a few days prior to his death.
During the last session of the General Assembly, Professor Jolly’s ability as a Representative proved to be of the very highest quality. He was responsible for the Mary Inglas (sic) Highway, which leads from Dayton, Ky., to Ashland, Ky., being made a State highway. Also the highway leading from Alexandria to the Pendleton County line by way of Flag Spring, Ky., which is under construction now by the State. He was the author of many bills which proved to be of a constructive nature in the education work of the commonwealth of Kentucky. His leadership and constructive ability were recognized by the State Department of Education and he was placed on important committees of the House in order to help direct important school legislation.
In furtherance of this work, he was preparing the following bills to be offered at the next session of the Legislature:
Bill to
allow schools in second-class cities to increase the tax rate.
Bill to subject more property to the State and local school tax.
Bill to authorize vote on a $10,000,000 bond issue for development of the State
University and Normal Schools.
It takes only a glance at these bills to see that they would be material for the up building of the school system in the commonwealth of Kentucky. He was Secretary-Manager of the State Reading Circle Courses. This work he managed from his office at Mentor, Ky. A man of vision, he grasped the possibilities and devoted his energy and ideas to the accomplishment of his purpose. He was a man of strong personality and of few words, but a peculiar tower of strength when it came to putting into execution his well-formed ideas. He was thoroughly reliable, his stand on all matters was well founded, and after he had analyzed the proposition or question at hand he never faltered nor hesitate to make known his position. He was faithful to his tasks and loyal to his friends.
Too much can not (sic) be said in praise of his unselfish service to his immediate community. As has bene said, “The greatest citizen in any community is he who serves the best,” therefore with the passing of the Hon. A.J. Jolly went Mentor’s most distinguished son and faithful servant.
Professor Jolly’s funeral was conducted in the Mentor Baptist Church, of which he was a member. Ministers officiating were Rev. J. T. Daugherty, of Ludlow, Ky., and Rev. Paul R. Clark, of Covington, Kentucky.
Governor William Jason fields occupied the pulpit for about twenty minutes and paid lasting tribute to the memory of Professor Jolly and told as to his faithfulness as a servant of the people of Kentucky and his work for the moral and educational interests of the State. He closed by saying: “May those who take up the burden where he laid it down be able to carry on.”
Interment was in Grandview Cemetery at Mentor.
Surviving Professor Jolly are his two sons and widow, Mrs. Nell Jordan Jolly.
From same issue: A Tribute
A J Jolly was my friend. He was friend to many others. I had but little business dealings with him at any time. We fought no stern battles side by side; we climbed no dizzy heights and walked no dark valleys together. There was nothing dramatic in our friendship. He was just my friend.
I do not mean to imply that my relationship with him was different from that of others. Quite the contrary. This relationship was typical. This was his outstanding characteristic – friendliness. He knew how to be a friend of friendship’s sake. He had friends on that basis by the score. I am terrible sorry he has gone. I have a deep sense of loss. It is as though one of the parts in the structure of my life has been pulled away.
In Kentucky educational circles Jolly was an institution. Every school person knew him, respected him; most of them loved him. He had a part one way or another in practically every educational movement. When something was to be put over, he was a force to be reckoned with. He could always be found and his position known. He was always on the job. State, city and County School Superintendents might come and go, college presidents appear and disappear, but A. J. Jolly had made his own a real place, an important place, in his own State, and he held it until his untimely death.
His tasks were incomplete, of course. He had purposeful ambitions for the Southern School Journal and for his school service business, that must be left for their realization to other hands. He was doing well from a financial standpoint. But in every success which he attained was wrapped up, in his thinking, the good of Kentucky, his native State – and the teachers.
Jolly’s one passion was the teachers. At the masthead of The Journal he carried the slogan: “The big three: The Child, the Teacher, the Taxpayer.” Others have set the child as the highest interest to be served; some perhaps, certainly some politicians, have thought the most of the taxpayer. To Jolly the important one of the Big Three was the teacher. He glorified the teacher. Through the Journal, his agency, and in every way he knew, he worked to serve the teachers of Kentucky. If I were asked to suggest a line to be place above him as he lies in his last long sleep, and one which I think would gratify him if he knew, I would suggest these words: “A friend of teachers.”
Everett Dix, Washington D. C.