| 2005-06 Recipient
The Rev. Helen Hammon Jones ’51
 Helen
Jones remembers focusing on questions about human and divine
existence as early as sixth grade, crediting her theosophist
father with her interest in issues of living and dying. From
the beginning, teachers at Collegiate encouraged her curiosity
and helped Helen to understand the value of leading a purposeful,
intellectually energetic, and socially responsible life. Helen
says that every endeavor she has undertaken has been driven
by her desire to explore such questions as: Why are we here;
what are human beings for; what is God ’s purpose for
us; what does it mean to be alive and to die?
Midlife, faced with a career choice, she
enrolled in a pilot course at the University of Louisville
on career counseling. The professor asked her what she was
interested in at the age of 18 and she replied, “religion.”
She entered the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
in 1977 where she earned a master ’s degree in divinity
three years later. She returned to earn a doctor of ministry
in medical ethics (with distinction) in 1994. At the seminary
Helen was able to fully dedicate herself to exploring God
’s relationship with human beings and with the world.
Through field education at the seminary, Helen learned that
she had a calling to chaplaincy: “Hospital work was
something that was so natural to me.” She was Chaplain
of the J.Graham Brown Cancer Center (’82 –’89)
and then Senior Chaplain at Norton Hospital (’89 –’01).
Some notable accomplishments include: member
of the founding board of Hospice of Louisville; longtime board
member of the Norton Hospitals Foundation and vice president
of The Junior League of Louisville; Jefferson County Medical
Society Ethics Committee; board, Camp Sunshine of Kentuckiana
for adults with cancer, first Chaplain Resident at Norton,
organized and led the first conference on AIDS for the Episcopal
Diocese of KY. Helen was ordained in the Protestant Episcopal
Church in 1987. For the past five years, she has worked as
Pastoral Associate at St.Matthew’s Episcopal Church
and continues her work as a spiritual director.
Collegiate — Helen joined the Collegiate
community in the sixth-grade with only five other students
in her class. Upon graduation, the class enrollment had increased
to 13 students. Truth be told, Helen entered Collegiate kicking
and screaming but it took only 2 weeks for her to change her
mind. Citing Collegiate as a very,very important part of her
life, she wonders how different her life would have been if
she had not attended. Helen remembers her Collegiate teachers
taking her seriously, treating her like an adult and recalls
them with greater nostalgia than her college professors.
Helen is also appreciative of the opportunities
she had to play sports at Collegiate because they taught her
the importance of teamwork. Helen was the Gold Team captain
of the Lower School, Upper School Amazon goalie, and captain
of the basketball team. Currently, she is on the Collegiate
Alumni Board.
After Collegiate, Helen continued her education
at Vassar College and graduated in 1955. She was married to
Saunders Paul Jones III in 1956. Their children are Lucy Fontaine
Jones Langman ’76, Paxton Hammon Prather Jones, and
Rowland Morgan Jones. In 1987, Helen married Thomas Howell
Pike founding head of St. Francis High School. Her grandchildren
currently attend Collegiate: Lolly Langman ’06 and Townsend
Jones ’12. While balancing her family time, Helen keeps
herself active with her weekend tennis team and golf partner.
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