John E. Jones III

John E. Jones III
Jones in 2005
30th President of Dickinson College
Assumed office
July 1, 2021
Preceded byMargee Ensign
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
In office
June 1, 2020 – August 1, 2021
Preceded byChristopher C. Conner
Succeeded byMatthew W. Brann
Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
In office
July 30, 2002 – August 1, 2021
Appointed byGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byJames Focht McClure Jr.
Succeeded byKaroline Mehalchick
Personal details
Born
John Edward Jones III

(1955-06-13) June 13, 1955 (age 69)
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationDickinson College (BA)
Dickinson School of Law (now Penn State Dickinson Law) (JD)

John Edward Jones III (born June 13, 1955) is the 30th President at Dickinson College and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He is best known for his presiding role in the landmark Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case, in which the teaching of intelligent design in public school science classes was ruled to be unconstitutional. In 2014, he ruled that Pennsylvania's 1996 ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. On May 14, 2021, it was announced that Judge Jones would serve as interim president of his alma mater Dickinson College for a two-year period beginning July 1, 2021. On February 28, 2022, Jones was named the 30th President of Dickinson College.