Allen Quinn Jones (1893-1997) spent 36 years as an educational leader in Gainesville, and as principal of three schools. He retired in 1957 and lived to be 104 years old. Mr. Jones, who was affectionately known or referred to as Professor Jones or “Prof” for short, was the last principal of the old Union Academy, which was then a junior high school. He arrived in Gainesville just in time to help plan and design, what would become Alachua County’s original Lincoln High School. A great motivator and educator, Prof got the best out of every student when Lincoln opened in 1923. Their first class of graduates was in 1925 and had eight members. The visionary Prof. Jones set a goal of extending his school from grades 1 through 10 all the way through 12th grade and gaining full accreditation from the state of Florida. This was a monumental and almost unheard-of task, but Lincoln went on to become only the second African-American high school in the state of Florida to become fully accredited. This feat instilled an enormous sense of pride in the community and motivated and inspired Lincoln students. Jones so influenced the community that his home, located across the street from Lincoln, has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places, has been restored, and now serves as the A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center.