Samuel Minot Jones was the founder of the Jones Library. Samuel was born on September 16, 1836 in Enfield, Massachusetts, a town which is now buried under the Quabbin Reservoir. He lived in Chicago for most of his adult life. He was very rich, and the way he got wealthy was that he worked at a lumber exchange. He was the person who founded, gave money, to the Jones, but died in Morristown, New Jersey on October 10, 1912. He died at his house on Miller Road at half past one o'clock, Thursday morning. He was ill for about a week, but his death came suddenly as a result of a heart failure.

Samuel had six sections in his Last Will and Testament.