From the Library to the Limelight:
J. Erik Jonsson Sculpture Unveiled in Axxess Atrium
School leaders recently unveiled the bust of J. Erik Jonsson at its new home in a prominent corner of the Axxess Atrium within the Engineering and Computer Science West (ECSW) building. The sculpture was relocated from the Cyrus D. Cantrell III Memorial Library to the Axxess Atrium.
“J. Erik Jonsson is remembered as a pioneer of the semiconductor industry and a transformative civic leader for Dallas and the region,” said Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and holder of the Lars Magnus Ericsson chair at The University of Texas at Dallas. “It is imperative that we remember our history in order to make decisions for the future, including carrying forward our founder’s legacy.”
The Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science has recognized its own namesake founder, J. Erik Jonsson, a founder of Texas Instruments Inc. and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, with a bust created more than 20 years ago that was previously housed inside the Cantrell Library on the lower level of the Engineering and Computer Science North (ECSN) building. However, many students, faculty and staff were unaware of its presence.
“When ECSW opened in 2018, a historian from another university in the Dallas area published articles in a magazine about Jonsson that caught my attention,” said Vice Dean Poras T. Balsara.
Around the same time, Chris Bhatti, associate dean in the Jonsson School and University assistant vice president of development and alumni relations, established contact with the Jonsson family and learned more about the University’s early days.
“We made a trip to Arkansas to meet with Erik Jonsson’s son Philip Jonsson and his wife Diane, who shared with us stories about the thought process that went into the creation of the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest which became The University of Texas at Dallas. They also served as honorary members of the inaugural Jonsson School Executive Council,” Balsara, also a professor of electrical and computer engineering, recalled. “When I saw the sculpture again in the library, I knew it needed more prominent positioning in the new engineering building.”
The three primary founders of Texas Instruments Inc. and The University of Texas at Dallas including J. Erik Jonsson, Cecil H. Green and Eugene McDermott are well represented across campus, including at the annual Founders Day celebration. The small library had a simple marker bearing Jonsson’s name, with no other details about his life and accomplishments. By contrast, the effigy of fellow founder Cecil Green, kept in a prominent niche outside of Cecil H. Green Hall, has attracted a cult following on campus. Students rub the sculpture for good luck prior to exams and even decorate it with items ranging from scarves and hats to stuffed toys.
As the new inscription below the bust reads, Jonsson was a trailblazer through founding both Texas Instruments Inc. and UT Dallas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, then built up a startup company called Geophysical Service Inc., which later became Texas Instruments Inc.
Jonsson was also a transformative civic leader. He was a popular mayor of the City of Dallas who served for three and a half terms. He took office in February 1964, just weeks after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 60 years ago.
“Mr. Jonsson was legendary,” Bhatti said. “We have him to thank for our city’s investment in the public library, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and many other civic organizations across the DFW Region. He had the kind of characteristics that we all want to emulate.”
In addition to steering the city through a period of political and social upheaval, one of Jonsson’s most critical achievements as mayor was laying the groundwork for the construction of Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport. Instead of placing the airport toward either Dallas or Fort Worth, it is located at the center of the two cities, leading to the development of the large metropolitan area today. The airport has since brought the city forward as a leader in global commerce and has also enabled students from across the globe to easily travel to UT Dallas.
“He’s not just a founder — he’s one of the most famous citizens of DFW,” Balsara said. “He brought everyone together. He was a true citizen, a visionary and a farsighted thinker.”
Now that the bust of Jonsson has a home in a much more prominent location, gleaming above a green column near the elevator, school leaders hope that it will inspire more reflection about Jonsson himself.
“He was the son of Swedish immigrants,” said Balsara, who himself is a first-generation immigrant. “I think that what this country offers is that anybody can achieve what they want to achieve through dedication, hard work and perseverance. I just hope students see and appreciate that.”