Ross Jones, a native of Haddonfield, New Jersey just outside Philadelphia, graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1953 with a B. A. in History, after which he served for three years in the U. S. Army. While at Hopkins, Jones was highly involved with many student groups and activities, including the News-Letter, for which he was co-editor. He received a masters degree in journalism from Columbia University before moving back to Baltimore to work at Hopkins in 1961 as the executive assistant to then-president Milton S. Eisenhower. Since then, Jones has occupied many positions with the university including, most notably, as vice president of the university. In this oral history, Jones describes his experiences at Hopkins as a student in the 1950s, his work under multiple Hopkins presidencies (since 1961), and how Hopkins has changed in the last half-century. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Great scientists and their research are discussed including: Elmer V. McCollum and his discovery of vitamins A, D, and B1; John Boswell Whitehead and his work on dielectrics; Alexander Graham Christie's work on power plant design; the philosophy of George Boas applying the world of ancient Greece to modern thought; archaeology in the Near East by William Foxwell Albright; and Robert Williams Wood and his research into diffraction gratings and infrared filters. There is also a discussion of operations research and its applications in the American military effort.