Edgar Jones's first occupation was that of coal-face worker at East Pit Colliery, Gwauncaegurwen. His last was as Director of the International Monetary Fund (the IMF). Moreover, during his final years in post, he became Head of the European office of that organisation, based in Geneva.
After eight years as a collier, Edgar Jones won a Miner's Welfare Scholarship, which he used to become a mature-age student at Aberystwyth. He set the seal upon this success by gaining a first-class honours in Economics, following this up with a Master's degree, for which he was also awarded the Gladstone Memorial Prize of the University of Wales. It was while he was up in Aber, too, that Edgar met Bet, who was to prove for him such a marvellous helpmate and hostess throughout his busy life.
After a brief spell as a lecturer at the University College, Swansea, at the beginning of the 1939-45 war, Edgar, like so many other University dons, was "called up" to assist with the war effort. His posting was to HM Treasury, where he was fortunate enough to work with two of the foremost figures in the Economics profession, namely Sir Dennis Robertson and John Maynard - later Lord - Keynes. It was because he heeded the latter's advice that Edgar accepted the offer of a post with the fledgling International Monetary Fund at the war's end: and who better to advise him on this issue than the very eminent economist who had played such a prominent role in its establishment?
My former colleagues and I in the Department of Economics at Aber enjoyed Edgar's periodic visits during his years as an Honorary Professorial Fellow of the College. He was an excellent raconteur, and often regaled us, not only with many stories of his time at the wartime Treasury, but also of his service as Head of Mission for the IMF in a wide variety of countries. There were, as always with Edgar, adventures which he recounted to perfection in his rather slow, calm voice. My own favourite was of the night, during a visit to one South American Republic, when he found a boa-constrictor's egg under the bed. Some of us who heard the story have doubtless adopted a nightly drill of looking under the bed ever since, or else possibly have vowed never to do so again. However, I imagine that Edgar, with his natural sang-froid and his experiences with rats underground, would have been less perturbed than most.
Edgar Jones was a life member of the UCW Court and, in 1982, the University conferred upon him the degree of Doctor in Scientia Economica, honoris causa. Inevitably, too, his warm friendly nature had ensured that his friends and colleagues would also have found an affectionate designation for him. As I have already indicated, his appellation was, "Jones the Money".
Despite living partly in Switzerland and partly in Spain since retirement, both Bet and Edgar maintained their connections with Wales. In 1994, this culminated in the invitation extended to Edgar to preside at the National Eisteddfod, over the session set aside by tradition to greet former Welsh inhabitants, like himself, now living abroad (Yr Alltud o Gymru). He delivered his platform address in faultless Welsh and was an immediately popular figure. It turned out to be the last occasion for us to meet, for ill-health was already taking its toll upon both his and Bet's mobility. We are left, however, with the advantage of having known a rare character who also led a very remarkable life.
Graham L. Rees