Jonsson, Erik, 1901-1995

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

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