Larry Jones and the Significance of the Chapter House
The Record | Volume #144 – Issue #1 – Spring 2025
By Holcombe Rolader (Louisiana State ’21)
People are in constant search for a sense of belonging and a place to call home. For many during their undergraduate years, the SAE chapter house becomes a home-away-from-home, serving as a sanctuary to enjoy newfound freedom and develop the characteristics they need to succeed in life. But, for some individuals, the chapter house can quite literally become home.
Such is the case of Larry Jones (Mississippi State ’71), an individual who embodies the spirit of Sigma Alpha Epsilon in his leadership, character, and humility. From a young man in search of belonging, to a leader helping shape the fraternity’s future, his journey is a testament to the power of brotherhood, and how the chapter house reinforces that bond.
Finding Roots in a Transient World
As a son in an Air Force family, Larry’s childhood was marked by constant change. “We lived all over the world,” he recalls. “Japan, Germany, Morocco, Oklahoma, Michigan, Kansas, Mississippi, and California.” This nomadic lifestyle left Larry craving a sense of stability and belonging, which he found when he joined the Mississippi Theta Chapter of SAE at Mississippi State in 1968.
“Mississippi State introduced me to a world of impressive young men and a way to develop roots in an organization and a community,” Larry explains. Despite being unfamiliar with fraternities, he was drawn to SAE by the outstanding leaders he encountered on campus and friends in the Chapter from Columbus, Mississippi, where he graduated from high school.
Other interesting life experiences also welcomed him. In college, Larry worked multiple jobs to support himself, including waiting tables, building golf courses, driving delivery vans, working in retail clothing sales, and even making car tags. Yet, his most defining experience was two summers spent working on a railroad track gang in Shreveport—a job that tested his grit and broadened his perspective.
“It made a professional out of me,” Larry reflects. “We repaired, laid, and took up track and repaired and built bridges among many other challenging projects” for over 10 hours a day in the Louisiana sun and in a bath of creosote. His coworkers, who Larry describes as men of steel, had worked for decades on the railroad. They encouraged him to stay in school and focus on his career goals, a lesson that Larry took to heart.
This challenging and rewarding experience instilled in him a deep appreciation for hard work and diverse perspectives. Through these and his other formative experiences, Larry developed resilience and self-reliance—traits that would become crucial when life presented its greatest challenge yet.
A Brotherhood Becomes Family
In 1969, Larry faced a major decision when his father was transferred to Castle AFB in California. He chose to stay at Mississippi State and with the Chapter. However, in 1970, tragedy struck when Larry’s parents were killed in a car and train accident in California. In an instant, his world changed. With no physical home to return to and three younger brothers left needing direction, he became the head of a family now relocated to Shreveport and living with a relative.
“The brotherhood, particularly brothers Dean Oswalt, George Wilder, Lee Gallion, Bobby Arentson, Wayne Taylor, and Hoyt Hayes surrounded me during this challenging time,” he reflects.
During this entire time, Larry’s home was the SAE House. With the support of the brotherhood, Larry was able to stay on top of his studies, develop his professional skills, and keep his family on track, a feat almost unthinkable for a young man in his position. This experience deeply influenced Larry’s commitment to SAE, transforming a personal tragedy into a lifetime of giving back to the organization that had become his second family.
After graduating from Mississippi State in 1971, and marrying Toodie Smith, a Little Sister of Minerva, Larry was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force and assigned to Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport. He and Toodie then worked to restore some normalcy to their lives, and the lives of his brothers. Two of those brothers would follow directly in Larry’s footsteps, enrolling at Mississippi State and joining Mississippi Theta.
Larry Jones: The Professional
After serving in the Air Force, Larry attended law school at The University of Mississippi and graduated with honors. He then began a decade of service in the Mississippi Air National Guard, serving as the State Judge Advocate General. He also began a decades-long journey, building a successful law practice as a Partner and Shareholder. He first worked with Watkins, Ludlam, Winter & Stennis, and later with Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell. On the home front, Larry and Toodie welcomed three beautiful daughters into the family. Today, the Jones family has grown to five granddaughters and two grandsons.
But his path in life kept leading back to SAE, and he felt compelled to give back to the institution that had taught him so many lessons of friendship and brotherhood and supported him in his time of need.
Return to the Fold
This began with a simple appointment to the Mississippi Theta House Corporation, where he served in every leadership role from Secretary to President. His commitment grew even deeper in the early 1990s, when he joined forces with Johnny Ray (‘86), another Mississippi Theta alumnus, to spearhead a major $1.5 million renovation and expansion of the Chapter House.
When Larry reflects on what he hopes to achieve in his service to SAE, his focus always circles back to his time as an undergraduate. Larry explains that “I observed and learned the importance of friendship, brotherhood, and the necessity of leadership, standards, and accountability.” Larry took these life lessons with him in his work with the Mississippi Theta House Corporation and the Chapter.
In these roles, he mentored many chapter leaders, and helped the Executive Board make responsible decisions and ensure the chapter’s security for the future. While working with Mississippi Theta, Larry also came to more fully appreciate “the full scope of our Fraternity… and how the principles that we tried to instill at Mississippi State were universal.”
His guidance and stewardship of the Mississippi Theta House Corporation and Chapter was recognized outside Mississippi. He was extended an opportunity by Charlie Boyd (Mississippi State ‘65), one of the great leaders of SAE, to serve on the Board of Directors for SAE Financial & Housing (F&H). He has served more than eight years and was the President for 3 years.
The Importance of Chapter Houses
One of Larry’s key insights about the fraternal experience is the crucial role chapter houses play in the fraternal experience and its success. “The chapter house is a foundation for building the college, fraternal experience,” he asserts. “And it is our job as alumni to ensure that this experience incorporates integrity and accountability.” He has seen this first hand in his service to F&H’s mission of owning, managing, and often saving chapter houses and providing a wealth of housing related services to the Realm.
Few people are as qualified to testify to the importance of the chapter house. During his work with F&H and Greg Somers (Michigan State ‘98), the long standing F&H CEO, and many committed Board members, F&H has invested millions in saving and preserving chapter houses, and today owns 14 houses, manages another 14, with a market value in excess of $78 million and provides services to over 2200 active members, ensuring that many future generations of SAE brothers have safe and productive environments to call home.
Family Bonds
Finally, Larry’s impact on SAE extends to his own family. Two of his three brothers followed in his footsteps at Mississippi State and Mississippi Theta. Terry (‘76), a recently retired maxillofacial surgeon, is now the President of the House Corporation and is a leader in contributing to the success of this outstanding chapter. Darrell Jones (‘79), a recently retired USAF Lt. General (3 Star), was also a member of the Chapter and still supports SAE in Texas. And Darrell’s son USAF Lt. Col. Taylor Jones also followed in the family SAE tradition at Mississippi State.
Wisdom for Future Generations
When asked what advice he would give to undergraduates and young alumni, Larry offers this:
“Take the time to reflect and act, during and particularly after your college experience on the importance of the brotherhood and friendships you found in SAE, and how it will impact you throughout the rest of your life.”
Larry and his family’s story is more than a testament to the power of brotherhood—it’s a reminder that leadership, service, and unwavering support define the SAE experience. His and his family’s legacy stands as an inspiration, and a challenge to future generations to uphold these values and leave their own mark on the Fraternity.
