Jones, Gloria (1928-2006) | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Name: Jones, Gloria (1928-2006)

Historical Note:

Gloria Mosolino was born on June 6, 1928 in Pottsville, PA, to Gertrude Parton (1902-1989) and Anthony Mosolino (1895-1947), a cigar merchant. After graduating from Syracuse University in 1949, Mosolino worked as a Hollywood actor, with uncredited roles in On the Waterfront (1954), The Seven Year Itch (1955), and La Dolce Vita (1960). She married author James Jones (1921-1977) in 1957 and the couple shared two children.

From 1959-1974, the Joneses lived in Paris, where they hosted several notable writers, including James Baldwin, Mary McCarthy, Romain Gary, and William Styron. The family returned to the United States in 1974, ultimately settling into a farmhouse in Sagaponack, NY. Here, the couple continued to maintain their literary circle, hosting writers such as Arthur Miller, Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer, and Peter Matthiessen.

Jones died on June 9, 2006 in Sagaponack, NY. She is buried in Poxabogue-Evergreen Cemetery.

Sources: Hevesi, Dennis. "Gloria Jones, 78, Hostess to the Literati Dies." The New York Times, June 15, 2006. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/15/arts/gloria-jones-78-hostess-to-the-literati-dies.html.

Note Author: Dana Miller

Records or Manuscript Collections Created by Jones, Gloria