Dan E. Jones

Dan E. Jones (1934-2018) was an American educator and political pollster from Utah. Jones was a Professor and Associate Director of University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics from 1978 to 2013, and many of his former students are involved in Utah politics at every level.^[1] He also co-founded the public opinion polling group Dan Jones & Associates, Utah's most prominent polling firm.^[2] Kirk Jowers, former director of the Hinckley institute, has said that "Dan Jones has had the largest impact of probably anyone in Utah on civic participation."^[3]

Personal life, education, and career

In 1980 Jones co-founded Dan Jones & Associates, a public opinion and market research firm.^[4] The company was acquired by Utah research and strategy firm Cicero Group in 2010.^[5][6] In 2015, Dan and Patricia Jones were recipients of the first "Insight Award" from nonprofit research organization Utah Foundation.^[7]

Jones had a Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Utah.^[8] He was married to Patricia W. Jones, a former politician and the current director of the Utah Women's Leadership Institute. They had four children and three step-children.

Jones died on November 2, 2018, at age 84 after a long illness. He was eulogized in a Salt Lake Tribune article as "The Oracle of Utah politics."^[9]