Dr. Edith Irby Jones (1937-)

was the first woman to be elected president of the National Medical Association. In 1985, during her inaugural address as president of the National Medical Association, Jones stated: "We give little when we give only our material possessions. It is when we give of ourselves that we truly give—the long challenging hours with patients who can pay and those who cannot pay, the agony of sharing the hurts of families with the death of loved ones, the observations of dehumanizing effects of seeing the jobless, the crushed ambitions, and the sharing when all we have to hold on to is the 'being within' to inspire the young to take up our role. We have the comfort of knowing that our work is not to make a living but to make a life, not just for ourselves or a select few, but life with its fullness for all, and especially providing the access to health care, which is our special charge." Dr. Jones lives in Houston, Texas. If she is ever up visiting in New England, she gets free tickets to any EJP event! Learn more about Dr. Jones by clicking HERE

Thanks to Angelo Bernardo, who happened upon our website and sent me this photo of an otherwise unknown Edith Jones. If anyone out there knows more about this mysterious Edith Jones, please let us know. Angelo tells me that Edith is the one playing the piano.

Edith Jones Wharton (1862-1937)

was born in New York and had a privileged upbringing among the elite of society and literary circles. She had a distinguished career that stretched over forty years and included the publication of more than forty books that portrayed a fascinating segment of the American experience. She was a born storyteller, whose novels are justly celebrated for their vivid settings, satiric wit, ironic style, and moral seriousness. Her characters, such as Ellen Olenska in The Age of Innocence, Ethan Fromme, and the charming but ineffectual Lily Bart in The House of Mirth, are some of the most memorable in American literature. She was the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Edith J. Wharton in Paris

Hon. Edith H. Jones serves on the 5th Circuit Court. She was a Ronald Reagan appointee, and was widely regarded as being on the George W. Bush's "short list" for a US Supreme Court appointment. We had the honor of playing for Judge Jones at a concert in Ocean Park in the summer of 2008. She was very sweet to us, and nothing like the "tough cookie" reputation that preceded her. Thank you, Judge Jones, for agreeing to pose for pictures with your namesake.

Here is the Edith Jones who is best known by the members of EJP. Edie is a Yorkshire Terrier. She loves her kong toy, frisbee, greenies treats. Her favorite CDs are Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" and anything with Dexter Gordon. She often attends EJP rehearsals, and likes to listen to her mother (Alison) practicing. You can learn more about Edie from her dogster.com web page.