Peter Lawson Jones
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
from the 11th district
In office
January 3, 1997 – February 9, 2002
Preceded byJane Campbell
Succeeded byLance Mason
Personal details
Born
Peter Lawson Jones

(1952-12-23) December 23, 1952
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLisa Payne
ResidenceShaker Heights, Ohio
Alma materHarvard University (AB, JD)

Peter Lawson Jones (born December 23, 1952) is an American actor, philanthropist and politician of the Democratic party. A resident of Shaker Heights, Ohio, he formerly served as a county commissioner in Cuyahoga County.

Early years

Jones was born December 23, 1952, to Charles Whitman Jones and Margaret "Diane" Jones, who paid twenty percent over asking - the black tax - to buy a house in Shaker Heights. When asked to not pay the higher fee, his mother was said to have responded, "My son is going to Shaker schools because I understand they’re very good."[1] He received his AB magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1975, and his juris doctor from Harvard in 1980. He was admitted to the Ohio State Bar in November 1980.[2]

Political career

Jones served on the Shaker Heights city council, and in 1994, he was the running mate for gubernatorial candidate Rob Burch. He served as a state representative from 1997 to 2002. In February 2002, after county commissioner Jane Campbell was elected mayor of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party appointed Jones to replace her on the commission.

Jones has extensive professional and community affiliations, and works at the law firm Roetzel & Andress in addition to his legislative duties.

In 2007, Jones made news with two dissenting votes on major decisions. He opposed the sales tax increase for Cuyahoga County from 7.5% to 7.75%. The tax, earmarked to pay for a new convention center and medical mart, was passed by a 2–1 vote (Jimmy Dimora and Tim Hagan voted for it), and it took effect on October 1, 2007. Jones also opposed the demolition of the Ameritrust Tower, which the county bought as a potential location for a new administration building, but later decided to sell.

On January 26, 2009, WKYC's Tom Beres reported that Jones was considering running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. George Voinovich.[3] He decided not to run and then endorsed Lee Fisher in both the primary and the general election.

In November 2009, the voters of Cuyahoga County replaced the county commission form of government with a charter form of government with an elected county executive.

Acting career

After loosening his ties to the political realm, Jones started acting in many independent films in the Cleveland area.[4]

Philanthropy

Jones created the Charles & Margaret Jones Scholarship Fund at College Now Greater Cleveland in honor of his late parents' legacy and commitment to education.[5]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Battle Hill Supporting
2012 Alex Cross Voice Over
2014 Infinite Regression Ted Adkins
2021 Chicago Fire, Episode 904, Funny What Things Remind Us[6] Henry Sidwell
2022 A Man Called Otto[7] Reuben

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Detroit 1-8-7 Supporting 1 episode

Playwright

Year Title Notes
1975 The Family Line[8]
2016 The Bloodless Jungle[9]
2022 The Phoenix Society[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Shaker Heights honors former commissioner Peter Lawson Jones". The Sun Press. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  2. ↑ "The Supreme Court Of Ohio Attorney Directory". Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  3. ↑ "Cuyahoga County Commish Peter Lawson Jones Exploring U.S. Senate Run | OhioDaily". Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  4. ↑ "Theatrical Resume". Peterlawsonjones.com. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  5. ↑ "College Now Greater Cleveland: A Man Called Otto". Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  6. ↑ "IMDB: Chicago Fire: Funny What Things Remind Us". Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  7. ↑ "IMDB: A Man Called Otto". Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  8. ↑ "The Harvard Crimson". Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  9. ↑ "National New Play Network New Play Exchange". Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  10. ↑ "Playwrights Local". Retrieved 2022-11-29.
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