Born in Rutledge, Tennessee, Robert Taylor 'Bob' Jones became a self-taught construction engineer and builder of railroads. In 1909, he settled in the mining town of Superior, site of the Magma Copper Company. He opened his first drug store in Superior in 1913, later expanding into Phoenix and Tucson. He began his commitment to public service in 1916, serving as postmaster from 1916 to 1921, state senator from 1931 to 1939, and the sixth governor of Arizona from 1939 to 1940.