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Inducted 1974   Growing
up in Indiana, Ralph attended Shortridge High School. He lettered
in football, basketball, track and baseball. In his senior year,
he began his coaching career at the age of 18. He took over the coaching
duties of all sports. After graduation he coached at the local YMCA
and then at Franklin College. He coached at Shortridge, the YMCA,
and Butler University all at the same time. In 1903 he was at Butler,
but moved on to Indiana University to assist with their basketball team.
He entered Wabash College in 1904 and coached the freshman football team. His final two years at the college, he coached all sports. During the summers he conducted coaching clinics. In 1909 he went to Purdue University, first as an assistant. When he took over as head coach of the basketball team his team tied for the Big Ten championship. The next season he led them to the conference championship title with an undefeated record. Ralph then went to the University of Illinois, where he served as assistant athletic director and coach. He eventually took over as head coach of the baseball team and the team won the Big Ten Championship. His basketball teams had 49 consecutive victories and won two Big Ten Championships. In 1920 Ralph became Athletic Director and football and baseball coach at Lake Forest Academy. During his ten-year tenure he coached five undefeated teams, had only five losses in ten years of football, and had one of his basketball teams capture the National Academy basketball championship. It was at the Academy that he developed his innovative 'T' formation and man-in-motion offenses. Promising George Halas a championship, Ralph took over as head coach of the Chicago Bears. He introduced the 'T' formation and the man-in-motion to professional football, with Red Grange as his man. In 1932 he brought the Bears their first-ever championship. Having achieved his promise, he returned to college athletics. He came to Lake Forest in 1933 and served as Athletic Director and head coach for football, basketball and baseball. In his years at Lake Forest, he led the football team to two undefeated seasons in 1938 and 1940, capturing the conference championship. His baseball teams recorded five consecutive conference victories. He ended his Lake Forest football career with a 52-30-10 record. In 1947 the College's president declared a "Ralph Jones Day" over Homecoming weekend, in honor of his dedication to athletics. He retired from Lake Forest in 1949. When his wife died, two years after him, she bequeathed $20,000 to Lake Forest for athletic scholarships. The award was named the Ralph R. Jones Memorial Scholarship.
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