Bill Jones - an educator whose commitment to youth didn’t stop at the edge of the campus - is being inducted into the Manteca Hall of Fame.

The dinner and induction ceremonies for the Hall of Fame take place Saturday, May 14, at the Manteca Senior Center, 295 Cherry Lane. Tickets are $40 apiece and available at the Manteca Boys & Girls Club, 545 Alameda St., or by calling 239-KIDS.

Other members of the Class of 2011 are Jack Kelley, at-large; Donald Widmer, athletics; Jessie Marinas, art; Don I. Asher, government; Margo Young, health care; Norman Knodt, business; Kathryn Aartman-Weed, community service; and Leo Omlin, agriculture.

Jones is being inducted for education.

Shim Lacy, who nominated Jones, noted that he believes, “all children have the right to have the opportunity to have the best possible education and that parents and community members have an obligation to support and encourage children to succeed.”

Jones served as Manteca High principal from 1993 to 1997. A Newman High graduate, Jones was a decorated Marine who served in the Korean War. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1959 at California State University Los Angeles, his Master of Science degree in 1963 at the University of Southern California and his PhD in 1979 from Walden University.

He started his education career as a teacher with the Alhambra City and High School District in 1959, became an assistant principal in 1962 and then moved to the Rosemead School District where he worked as a junior high principal from 1969 to 1979. He was hired my Manteca Unified as an assistant principal in 1979 and served in that capacity until he was elevated to principal in 1993.

Jones was a founding member of the Board of Directors of both the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manteca/Lathrop as well as Give Every Child a Chance. He was the original director for Give Every Child a Chance and worked tirelessly with founder Antone Raymus to connect directly with teachers and the educational staff to develop a model program that now serves more than 3,000 youth in Manteca, Ripon, Lathrop, Escalon, Weston Ranch, Banta, and other communities.

He is past president the Boys & Girls Club board and worked with then Police Chief Willie Weatherford and community relations officer Rex Osborn to create the first “Drug Free School Zone” in San Joaquin County at Manteca High.

Jones partnered with his wife Debbie Jones as well as Bob and Cindy Heath and other volunteers to create and implement the original Saturday Night Life program that lasted six years at Manteca High to give teens a safe place to spend Saturday nights playing basketball, volleyball, ping-pong, karaoke, video games, and other activities.

He served on the executive board of the United Way of San Joaquin as well as in other volunteer capacities within the organization. Among his other efforts in behalf of youth was serving on the San Joaquin County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission.

Jones has received a number of honors including Outstanding Educator by the juvenile justice commission as well as a Points of Light Foundation honor from the President of the United States.

Jones and his wife have five children and 13 grandchildren.

His hobbies include reading, traveling, boating, biking, and volunteering at Shasta School.