When Thomas ‘TJ’ Jones spotted leftover pizza from an event in the Alison Richard building, his navy-trained eyes didn’t miss a beat. Thanks to his military-grade observation, we both snagged a plate of free pizza to enjoy at the Arc Cafe. A current MPhil student studying Criminology, this degree is only a part of Jones’ story.

When you think of the typical Cambridge student, the image in your head most likely isn’t a former U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) and assistant prosecutor for Oklahoma who has worked in the Pentagon and with the FBI, but that barely scratches the surface of who Thomas ‘TJ’ Jones is.

Before meeting Jones, I had only communicated with him through email and text, having no idea what he looked like. I had heard about his long career through a mutual contact, expecting to meet a stern, formal figure in his 60s or 70s. Suffice it to say, I was surprised when a man in his 40s greeted me with a warm and uniquely American demeanour.

In Cambridge, Jones is just another postgraduate student trying to make the most out of his year: a player on the University’s American football team, a coach for the University’s women’s rugby team and the MCR Family Officer for St. Edmund’s College.

“A CV that reads more like a spy thriller than a student profile”

Before arriving at Cambridge (not to be confused with Cambridge, Massachusetts – though he did attend Harvard from 2020 to 2022), he had already racked up three postgraduate degrees, served as a Navy JAG on landmark cases like the USS Cole bombing and 9/11, taught at the Naval Academy and in Japan, worked in the international law division of the Pentagon, and prosecuted cases in Oklahoma. He’s also traveled to every country in Europe –“except Belarus,” he notes with a grin. “I’m happiest when I’m busy,” he admits, with a CV that reads more like a spy thriller than a student profile.

Jones’ travelling and moving began long before adulthood. Born in Baltimore in 1975 to a “hippie” mother and “absent” father, his childhood was spent living in a school bus, picking crops as migrant farm workers in California, and living in Alaska, before returning to Baltimore for high school.

Despite such humble beginnings, money was “never a driving force” for him. “I’d rather make less money and do something I thoroughly enjoy, than be absolutely miserable,” Jones said. Jones’ inclination toward public service is evident, as he “always wanted to be part of something bigger” than himself. Though he acknowledges he “could have made a lot more money,” he’s certain that path would have left him unfulfilled. “I wouldn’t have been satisfied,” he says simply.

Jones joined the military around the time of 9/11, describing it as “a crazy time”. As a result, he ended up in the Navy SEAL team. Jones was “one of the first lawyers that got sent to a deploying SEAL team”. He was writing his “own playbook” and his “own standard operation procedures”.

“He wants to bring back what he learned to serve the people of Baltimore”

However, when you’re in the military, “you miss a lot”. This was particularly difficult for Jones, as he “always wanted to go back to Baltimore to serve my community there”. After retiring from the military in 2019, he is “finally getting around to that” in pursuit of his ultimate goal: running for mayor.

The reason Jones is in Cambridge is to “study Baltimore” and its high levels of violent crime. Taking on an MPhil, Jones’ dissertation, titled ‘Fifty Years of Homicide in Baltimore: A Comprehensive Analysis of Systemic Failures and Proposals for Solution’, studies the essential question: why is Baltimore among the top three cities in the United States with the highest homicide rates? At the end of the day, his work here is “practical”. He wants to bring back what he learned to serve the people of Baltimore.

Make no mistake, Jones does not see becoming mayor as a stepping stone to becoming governor or congressman for Maryland. He has “no desire” for either: his only focus is on local politics. Jones’ reasoning is illuminating: the public servant role shines better at the local level than on the state or federal level. He acknowledges all the same that any area of politics can be “brutal”.

Jones views his run for election as a non-negotiable, but first, he wants to go into academia to teach. In fact, if he becomes mayor, he sees himself still teaching at least “one night a week”. As someone who craves variety, he finds it hard to break into academia. The academic community “really wants somebody who’s focused…in a specific area,” but he doesn’t see himself “wanting to do the same thing forever”. For him, “variety is the spice of life”. It is this attitude of his that made our conversation so unexpectedly engaging.

Thomas ‘TJ’ Jones’ journey, from a childhood on the road to the halls of Cambridge, is a testament to the power of staying curious. His story may not fit the mold, but that’s exactly why it deserves to be told.