Jonsson, Erik, 1901-1995

Variant names

J. Erik Jonsson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 6, 1901, the only child of John Peter and Ellen Charlotte (Palmquist) Jonsson. His parents were naturalized citizens, having independently immigrated to the United States from Sweden in the 1890s. In 1912 the family moved to Montclair, New Jersey, where at age sixteen Jonsson graduated from Montclair High School. He completed a mechanical engineering degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, in 1922. Jonsson began his professional career at Alcoa after graduation from RPI. On February 8, 1923, Jonsson married Margaret Fonde in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1934, he moved to Dallas, Texas, as secretary of Geophysical Service Inc., and advanced through the corporate ranks. In 1951, GSI became Texas Instruments, and Jonsson played a major role in TI as president, 1951-58; chairman of the board, 1958-66; and honorary chairman, 1966-77. Jonsson served as the mayor of Dallas from 1964 to 1971, and worked to improve the image and morale of the city in the wake of the Kennedy assassination. He was a key leader in the development of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, serving as chairman of the project from 1968 to 1976. Jonsson died on September 1, 1995, in Dallas.

From the description of J. Erik Jonsson papers, 1881-1995 (bulk 1964-1995). (Southern Methodist University). WorldCat record id: 442001366

John Erik Jonsson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 6, 1901, the only child of John Peter and Ellen Charlotte (Palmquist) Jonsson. His parents were naturalized citizens, having independently immigrated to the United States from Sweden in the 1890s. In 1912 the family moved to Montclair, New Jersey, where at age sixteen Jonsson graduated from Montclair High School. He completed a mechanical engineering degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, in 1922. On February 8, 1923, Jonsson married Margaret Fonde in Knoxville, Tennessee; they had three children, Philip, Kenneth, and Margaret.

Jonsson began his career at Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) as a rolling-mill apprentice in 1922, and advanced to manufacturing superintendent of the Aluminum Index Company (an Alcoa subsidiary), a position he held from 1923 to 1927. After a brief departure into the auto business, 1927-1929, he returned to Alcoa as a sales engineer. During Jonsson’s last year at Alcoa, John Clarence Karcher, the husband of Mrs. Jonsson’s cousin, occasionally asked for Jonsson’s assistance with expediting materials orders for his start-up company, Geophysical Service. In June 1930 Karcher offered Jonsson a job managing the manufacture of seismic instruments at the company lab in Newark, New Jersey, and in July Jonsson again left Alcoa. In 1934 he moved to Dallas as secretary of Geophysical Service.

While in Texas, Jonsson’s work assignments for GSI increased in responsibility and included secretary, 1934-39; secretary-treasurer, 1939-42; and vice president and treasurer, 1942-51. In 1951 a new name was chosen for the parent company, Texas Instruments, with GSI as a subsidiary and Jonsson continued to play a major role in Texas Instruments as president, 1951-58; chairman of the board, 1958-66; and honorary chairman, 1966-77.

During Jonsson’s time with Texas Instruments he became involved with civic activities, and at a time when many retire, Jonsson was increasing his civic and community involvement. He participated in a wide range of community organizations, holding leadership positions in the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Dallas Citizens Council, and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. He was a tireless advocate for education, serving or leading the boards of nearly a dozen educational institutions and forming partnerships to improve local educational facilities. Jonsson was also a founder of the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies, from which the University of Texas at Dallas was created in 1969.

Jonsson served as the mayor of Dallas from 1964 to 1971, and worked to improve the image and morale of the city in the wake of the Kennedy assassination. He was a key leader in the development of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, serving as chairman of the project from 1968 to 1976. Jonsson proposed a pioneer urban goal-setting program, Goals for Dallas, in 1964, and he served in the positions of chairman of the board (1965-1976) and chairman emeritus (1976-92). Jonsson received numerous honors and awards during his life, including ten honorary doctorates between 1959 and 1973. Jonsson died on September 1, 1995, in Dallas.

John Erik Jonsson

Born: Brooklyn, New York, September 6, 1901

Married: Margaret Fonde (1902-84) February 8, 1923

(3 children) Philip, Kenneth, Margaret

Died: Dallas, TX, September 1, 1995

Education

1918 Montclair High School, Montclair, NJ

Earned Degrees

1922 ME Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

Honorary Degrees

1959 Doctor of Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

1961 Doctor of Science, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY

1963 Doctor of Science, Austin College, Sherman, TX

1964 Doctor of Laws, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX

1968 Doctor of Civil Laws, University of Dallas, Irving, TX

1972 Doctor of Laws, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Doctor of Laws, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY

1973 Doctor of Humane Letters, Oklahoma Christian College, Oklahoma City, OK

1981 Doctor of Science, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

1984 Doctor of Engineering, Polytechnic University, New York, NY

Professional Experience

1922-23 Aluminum Company of America, (ALCOA) Tennessee Rolling Mill Apprentice

1923-27 Aluminum Index Company, New Jersey, an ALCOA subsidiary manufacturing Superintendent

1927-29 Dumont Motor Car Company, Inc., NJ Vice President and the President of Oakland Pontiac Automobile Distributorship

1929-30 Aluminum Company of America, NJ Sales Engineer

1930-41 Geophysical Service, Dallas TX (Predecessor company of Texas Instruments Incorporated)

1930-34 Superintendent of the Laboratory, Newark NJ

1934-39 Secretary

1939-42 Secretary and Treasurer

1941-51 Geophysical Service Inc. (GSI), Dallas TX

1942-51 Vice President and Treasurer

1951-82 Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas TX

1951-58 President

1958-66 Chairman of the Board

1966-77 Honorary Chairman

1981-1985 Member, Advisory Council to Board of Directors

1977-82 Honorary Director

Educational Affiliations

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Troy, NY Member and honorary Chairman, Board of Trustees

Lamplighter School – Dallas, TX Chairman 1967-84 Honorary Chairman of the Board

Academy for Educational Development – New York, NY Former Director, (and former Chairman of its Educational Facilities Laboratories Division)

University of Dallas – Irving, TX 91971-79) Former Member, Board of Trustees

Skidmore College – Saratoga Springs, NY (1960-77) Former Member, Board of Visitors (formerly Chairman)

Tulane University – New Orleans, LA (1962-77) Former Member, Board of Visitors (formerly Chairman)

Austin College – Sherman, TX (1966-77) Former Member, Board of Trustees

The Hockaday School – Dallas, TX Honorary Member, Board of Trustees (Chairman, 1954-64)

Foundation for the Callier Center and Communication Disorders – Dallas, TX Trustee Emeritus

Governor’s Committee (Texas) on Education Beyond the High School – (1963-64) Member

Southwest Research Institute – San Antonio, TX (1972) Member, Board of Trustees

Professional Affiliations

Republic of Texas Corporation or RepublicBank Dallas – Dallas, TX (now NationsBank) Director 1954-80

The Equitable Life Assurance Society of America – Director 1958-73

Dallas Power & Light Company – Dallas, TX Director 1955-64

Neiman Marcus Co. – Dallas, TX Director 1956-65

Civic Activities

City of Dallas, TX – Mayor, 1964-71

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – Chairman of the Board (1968-76)

Goals for Dallas – Dallas, TX Chairman (1956-76), Chairman Emeritus (1976-1992)

Excellence in Education Foundation – Dallas, TX President (1961-92)

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas – Dallas, TX Ex-Officio Member, Board of Directors President (1961->62)

Southwestern Medical Foundation Board of Trustees – Dallas, TX Honorary Member

Board of Trustees, Dallas Symphony Orchestra – Dallas, TX Honorary Member

Board of Trustees, Southwestern Legal Foundation – Dallas, TX Honorary Member

Other Affiliations

American Newcomen Society – Member

Philosophical Society of Texas – Member

Society of Exploration Geophysicists – Member

American Management Association – Life Member, Vice President, General Management Division (1959-69) Member, Board of Directors (1958-64) Executive Committee (1962-64)

The Conference Board – New York, NY Councilor, Former Member, Board of Directors

Academy of Texas – Member

National Academy of Engineering – Member

Social Affiliations

Dallas Petroleum Club, Dallas, TX

Brook Hollow Golf Club, Dallas, TX

City Club, Dallas, TX

Honors and Awards

1960 Linz Award

1962 Dallas Man of the Year

1963 Dallas Press Club Headliner Award

1964 American Society of Metals Advancement of Research Award

1965 Society of Industrial Realtors Industrialist of the Year Award

1966 Southwestern Legal Foundation Great Leaders Award

1967 Honorary Member, American Institute of Architects

1967 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Distinguished Service Award

1968 Henry Lawrence Gantt Medal (American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Management Association)

1969 Horatio Alger Award

1970 Hoover Medal (American Society of Civil Engineers; American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers; American Society of Mechanical engineers; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

1971 Dallas Junior Bar Association Liberty Bell Award

1972 B’Nai B’Rith Humanitarianism Award

Rose Hulman Institute of Technology Chauncey Rose Medal

Tau Beta Pi, Rose Hulman Institute of Technology Chapter Honorary Member

1974 National Academy of Engineering Founders Medal

1975 Junior Achievement Hall of Fame for Business Leadership Award

1977 University of Texas Santa Rita Award

1979 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Honorary Member

Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs Award

1980 American Society of Swedish Engineers John Ericsson Award

Swedish Council of America great Swedish Heritage Award

Texas Library Association Philanthropic Award

1983 Semiconductor Equipment & Material Institute (SEMI) Presidential Citation Award

Swedish American of the Year

Texas Business Hall of Fame

1989 American Institute of Architects, Dallas Chapter, The George Foster Harrell Award

J. C. Penney Lone Star Lifestyle Visionary Award

Rotary Club of Dallas Paul Harris Fellowship Award

1990 UCLA School of Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award

1993 Southwestern Medical Foundation Community Service Award

Publications

"Of Time and the Cities" (Gantt Medal Address, 1968), published in 1969 by the Gantt Medal Board of Award

"Avalanche: The Cities and The Seventies" (Henry Robinson Towne Lecture, 1968), published in Mechanical Engineering, June 1969

From the guide to the J. Erik Jonsson papers A1998. 2191., 1881-1995, 1964-1995, (DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)