Born July 1, 1899 in Princeton, New Jersey, Jones's life was indelibly influenced when he accompanied his parents, Henry Sr. and Anna Jones on a world lecture tour from 1908 to 1910. Throughout his travels, Jones encountered many important figures in history who shaped his outlook on life. After their return home, his mother became ill and died. The father and son relocated to Utah in 1912 but, without Anna, their already difficult relationship became increasingly strained. As Henry Sr. withdrew into his studies, Indiana found himself in various locations as his father lectured once again. However, his appreciation for history saw him trying to claim the Cross of Coronado from grave robbers, a feat that earned him his hat
By 1916, Indiana and his father had moved back to Princeton. While on Spring Break that year, Jones quit high school, briefly participated in the Mexican Revolution then spent the next two years fighting in World War I, initially as a soldier before moving into espionage work. Afterwards, he attended the University of Chicago, where he studied archaeology under Professor Abner Ravenwood alongside his friend Harold Oxley, later transferring to France, where he earned an undergraduate degree in linguistics and met René Emile Belloq in the process. Around 1925, he began a brief relationship with Ravenwood's daughter Marion, which collapsed the friendship with his mentor. Once a graduate, his early years as an archaeology teacher in London was where he met student Deirdre Campbell. Their romance led to marriage in 1926, but a plane crash took Deirdre's life soon after
In the years leading up to World War II, during which Jones slowly abandoned his "fortune and glory" mentality, Jones secured a teaching position at Marshall College. In 1936, the US Government contracted him to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis could take it, which led him to be reunited with Marion Ravenwood. The relationship lasted until Jones left a week before their wedding, unaware that his fiancée was carrying their child. He would then reconcile with his estranged father when the Nazis tried to claim the Holy Grail for Adolf Hitler in 1938
