NEED TO KNOW
Jerry Jones has been married to Eugenia “Gene” Jones for more than 60 years
The Dallas Cowboys owner met Gene while they were studying at the University of Arkansas
They share three children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild
Jerry Jones and his wife, Eugenia “Gene” Jones, have been a team for more than 60 years.
The Dallas Cowboys owner — who’s featured in the Netflix docuseries America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys, which premiered Aug. 19 — met Gene while the two were students at the University of Arkansas, according to Texas Monthly. They got married in 1963.
Together, they raised three children — Stephen, Charlotte and Jerry Jr. — all of whom serve as co-owners and executives of the Cowboys organization. They also share 10 grandchildren.
In a September 2017 interview with WFAA-TV, Gene said their decades-long marriage has “been great.” “I really wouldn’t change a day of it,” she added.
That same year, during his NFL Hall of Fame induction, Jerry chose Gene as his presenter, sharing a heartfelt tribute to her during his acceptance speech.
“You’ve kept me between the rails when I didn’t have the strength to get to the middle,” he said. “You’re my presenter tonight because you always represented this family in a loving and caring light that only you could provide.”
So, who is Eugenia “Gene” Jones? Here’s everything to know about the First Lady of the Dallas Cowboys and her relationship with Jerry Jones.
She is from Arkansas
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Gene Jones and Jerry Jones.
Gene is from Danville, Ark. The team matriarch was involved in pageants, winning Miss Arkansas USA in 1960 and Arkansas Poultry Princess. According to Texas Monthly, Gene grew up as the daughter of a small-town banker.
The family has kept their Arkansas roots, despite being the family of the Dallas Cowboys. They have a strong connection to their alma mater, the University of Arkansas, with several of the Jones family members attending the school.
In fact, the couple’s son Stephen rejected a football scholarship to Princeton University to attend the University of Arkansas, per The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
They got married in 1963
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Jerry Jones and Gene Jones.
Jerry and Gene met on her first day at the University of Arkansas, Gene said while presenting Jerry to the NFL Hall of Fame in August 2017.
On their first date at the county fair, Jerry tried to win Gene a teddy bear, but wasn’t able to. So, the NFL legend went behind one of the booths and bought her one.
Gene has gone on to reference this moment from her first date as a symbol of Jerry’s determination.
“He came right back with the biggest teddy bear at the carnival and wearing a bigger smile on his face,” she told WFAA-TV. “It was the beginning of our relationship. We married three years later.”
Jerry and Gene wed in 1963 while they were still attending the University of Arkansas, per the Texas Monthly.
She presented Jerry into the Hall of Fame
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Jerry Jones and Gene Jones with his Hall of Fame bust.
Jerry was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in August 2017, where he was presented by his wife.
“Any recognition that I may have received throughout our years in the NFL has been the result of a group effort involving all of my family,” Jerry said at the time. “Gene is the backbone of our family, and her influence guides and inspires all of us. She is my closest advisor, my best friend, and it is only fitting that she presents me, and represents our entire family, at this very special time.”
The ceremony was a cause for celebration among the whole family, with their children and grandchildren in attendance.
“It was more amazing than I expected,” Gene told WFAA-TV in September 2017. “None of us have ever experienced something more exciting.”
She supported Jerry’s decision to purchase the Dallas Cowboys
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Jerry Jones and Gene Jones.
When Jerry decided to buy the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 from H.R. “Bum” Bright for $140 million — the most that had ever been paid for an NFL franchise, per Texas Monthly — the couple knew it could be risky. But Gene backed Jerry up all the way.
“I knew it had been a dream of his,” she told WFAA-TV in September 2017. “It was such a big challenge to do this. I knew Jerry wanted to be involved in sports. He’d loved being an Arkansas Razorback and it was such an exciting time in our life — the time when we were at the University of Arkansas — and he loved the game of football. When he found out that the Dallas Cowboys were available for him to be a part of, he was just thrilled beyond explanation.”
Jerry had explained the decision to their children, with the parents relaying that it was “our future” and “their future” at risk, she said.
“It was a great sacrifice,” she continued. “It’s kind of like winning that teddy bear. He wants something and he doesn’t take no for an answer.”
They share three children
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Jessica Hart, Elsa Hosk, Denise Landman, Jerry Jones Jr, Jerry Jones Sr, Charlotte Jones Anderson and Stephen Jones present a jeweled football at the opening of the Victoria’s Secret PINK store at Cowboys Stadium on October 1, 2012 in Arlington, Texas.
Over the years, Jerry and Gene welcomed three children: John Stephen in 1964, Charlotte in 1966 and Jerry Jones Jr. in 1969.
Life changed for the entire family when Jerry bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, beginning what would become a new family business. All three of the couple’s children are co-owners of the team and work within the organization. Stephen is the chief operating officer, Charlotte is the chief brand officer and Jerry Jr. is the chief sales and marketing officer, per their Dallas Cowboys bios.
The trio’s working relationship has strengthened their bonds as siblings.
“At the end of the day, there is no one I would trust more to partner with than my brother and sister,” Stephen told The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in November 2018.
They share 10 grandchildren
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Jerry Jones and his family.
With 10 grandchildren, the Jones family could just about field their own championship team.
Charlotte shares three children — Haley, Shy Jr. and Paxton — with her ex-husband, Shy Anderson. Stephen and his wife, Karen, are parents to four — Caroline, Jordan, Jessica and John Stephen Jr. Jerry Jr., meanwhile, also has three children: He shares kids Mary and James, with his wife, Lori Lemon, and daughter Juliette with his ex-girlfriend, actress Janine Turner.
Several of the Jones grandchildren are already stepping into the family business. Charlotte’s daughter, Haley, followed in her grandfather’s footsteps to the University of Arkansas before joining the Dallas Cowboys organization as a marketing intern and brand coordinator. She now works as a special project officer for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (and is even featured in the America’s Sweethearts Netflix series).
The family even recently welcomed its newest — and tiniest — Cowboys fan. In March 2025, Charlotte’s eldest son, Shy Jr., announced on Instagram that he and his wife had welcomed a daughter, Parker Elouise Eugenia, named in honor of her great-grandmother.
She is passionate about family time
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Gene Jones and Jerry Jones.
Charlotte says her parents have always been committed to putting family first.
“My mom and dad stressed the importance of family,” Charlotte told The Dallas Morning News in August 2017. “It was family first. At dance recitals and school events, my parents were always there. They gave us the gift of their presence.”
Gene echoed that sentiment to WFAA-TV in September 2017, describing Jerry as “all in” when it comes to family time. She recalled a moment when a business associate once asked her what Jerry’s hobby was.
“I think it’s our kids. That’s what both of our hobbies have been,” she said.
Read the original article on People
