Howard Selby Jones, Jr. was born in Henderson, Kentucky, and moved to south Florida during his teen years. He was introduced to the Cracker culture on the Williamson Ranch in Okeechobee, Florida. After two years at the University of Florida, he was accepted at Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine where he gained his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Following a stint in the Veterinary Corps in the United States Air Force and five years in a large/small animal partnership in Sebring, Florida, his teacher's heart brought him back to Auburn where he completed a two-year Dairy Medicine