About the Collection
J. Erik Jonsson (1901-1995) was a man driven to change Dallas for the better. He served as Chairman of Texas Instruments (1958-1966), was elected Dallas Mayor (1964-1971), and was prominent in civic affairs. The J. Erik Jonsson papers, 1881-1995 (bulk 1964-1995) contain primarily his paper records, with some photographs, audiovisual materials and awards.
John Erik Jonsson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 6, 1901. In 1934, he moved to Dallas as secretary of Geophysical Service (GSI). In 1951, GSI’s parent company was renamed Texas Instruments (TI). Jonsson played a major role in TI as president (1951-58), chairman of the board (1958-66), and honorary chairman (1966-77).
During his time with TI, Jonsson increased his civic and community involvement. He held 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 improving local educational facilities. Jonsson was a founder of the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies, which became The University of Texas at Dallas in 1969.
Jonsson was mayor of Dallas from 1964 to 1971. He 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 pioneering urban goal-setting program, Goals for Dallas, in 1964, which he served as chairman of the board (1965-1976) and chairman emeritus (1976-92). Jonsson received numerous awards during his life, including ten honorary doctorates between 1959 and 1973.
Items from the following series in the finding aid are available online.