James R. Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Jones
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| United States Ambassador to Mexico | |
| In office September 10, 1993 – June 25, 1997 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | John Negroponte |
| Succeeded by | Jeffrey Davidow |
| Chair of the House Budget Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1985 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Giaimo |
| Succeeded by | William H. Gray III |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 1st district |
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| In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Page Belcher |
| Succeeded by | Jim Inhofe |
| White House Chief of Staff | |
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De facto
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| In office April 26, 1968 – January 20, 1969 |
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| President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | W. Marvin Watson (de facto) |
| Succeeded by | H. R. Haldeman |
| White House Appointments Secretary | |
| In office April 26, 1968 – January 20, 1969 |
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| President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | W. Marvin Watson |
| Succeeded by | Dwight Chapin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Robert Jones
May 5, 1939 Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Oklahoma (BA) Georgetown University (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1964–1965 (active) 1961–1968 (reserve) |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit | Army Intelligence Corps Army Reserve |
James Robert Jones (born May 5, 1939) is an American lawyer, diplomat, and politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Jones served as a U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma. Later, he became the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico under President Bill Clinton.
Jones grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He became interested in politics at a young age. He worked for U.S. Representative Ed Edmondson. He also served as the Appointments Secretary for U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.
In 1972, Jones returned to Oklahoma. He ran for Congress in Oklahoma's 1st congressional district. He won this election and was re-elected six more times. During his time in Congress, which lasted until 1987, Jones led the House Budget Committee for four years.
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Early Life and Education
James Robert Jones was born and raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma. When he was just 12 years old, he was already helping with political campaigns. He supported Ed Edmondson in his run for Congress.
Jones attended the University of Oklahoma. He earned his B.A. degree in 1961. After that, he went to Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.. He graduated with a law degree (LL.B.) in 1964.
After finishing his studies, Jones joined the U.S. Army Reserve. He served from 1961 to 1968. He also had a short period of active duty from 1964 to 1965. During this time, he was a captain in the Army's Counterintelligence Corps. In 1964, he became a lawyer in Oklahoma and started his law practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Starting His Political Career
Working in the White House
Jones's first important political role was as a legislative assistant. He worked for Congressman Ed Edmondson from 1961 to 1964. In 1965, Jones moved to the White House. There, he became the Appointments Secretary for U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. He also acted as the de facto Chief of Staff. At that time, Jones was the youngest person ever to hold the position of Appointments Secretary.
Serving in Congress
After President Johnson left office, Jones went back to Oklahoma. He continued his law practice in Tulsa. In 1970, he decided to run for Congress. He challenged the long-serving Republican, Page Belcher. Jones made the election very close, which was a big surprise.
Jones planned to run against Belcher again in 1972. However, Belcher decided not to run for re-election. The Republicans then chose Tulsa Mayor Jim Hewgley to run instead. Jones won the election in November by a good margin. This was surprising because Richard Nixon won Tulsa County by a huge amount in the presidential election that same year. Jones was the first and only Democrat to represent Tulsa in Congress since 1951. He was re-elected six times and served until January 1987.
As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which handles tax laws, Jones helped pass a tax cut in 1978. In 1979, he joined the House Budget Committee. He also helped bring more financially conservative Democrats to this committee.
In 1986, Jones decided not to run for his House seat again. Instead, he ran for the U.S. Senate against the Republican Senator Don Nickles. Even though he had won his House seat by a small margin two years earlier, he lost the Senate race to Nickles.
After Congress: Ambassador and More
In 1987, after leaving Congress, Jones went back to practicing law. He joined a law firm in Washington, D.C. He then became the Chairman of the American Stock Exchange from 1989 to 1993.
When Bill Clinton became President, Jones was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. He served in this important role from 1993 until 1997. In 2003, he became the Chairman of the World Affairs Councils of America. This organization helps people understand global issues.
Today, Jim Jones lives in both Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Washington, D.C. He is a partner at a law firm called Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. He also serves on the board of directors for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. This group works on making sure the government's budget is managed well. Jones is also part of the advisory board for the Mexico Institute.
In 1994, James Robert Jones was honored by being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
The Constitution Project
In December 2010, Jones joined The Constitution Project's Guantanamo Task Force. This group studied issues related to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
See also
- Politics of Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Democratic Party
- Oklahoma Congressional Districts
- United States Ambassador to Mexico
