James Robert Jones

Infobox Congressman
name=James Robert Jones


state= Oklahoma
district= 1st
party= Democratic
term= 1973-1987
preceded=Page Belcher
succeeded=Jim Inhofe
office2= Appointments Secretary
president2= Lyndon B. Johnson
term_start2=1968
term_end2=1968
preceded2=W. Marvin Watson
as Informal White House Chief of Staff
succeeded2=H.R. Haldeman
as 4th White House Chief of Staff
date of birth= birth date and age|1939|05|05
place of birth=
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=
religion =

James Robert "Jim" Jones (born May 5, 1939) is a lawyer, a Democratic politician, a retired U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma, and a former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

Early life and career

Jones was born and educated in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He received his B.A. degree in 1961 from the University of Oklahoma, where he also joined Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Jones was accepted at Georgetown University Law Center (in Washington, D.C.) and graduated with a law degree (LLB) in 1964.

Jones enlisted and served in the U.S. Army Reserve (from 1961 to 1968) and also served briefly in the Army Counterintelligence Corps (at the rank of Captain, from 1964 to 1965). Jones was also admitted to the Oklahoma bar in 1964 and commenced his practice of law in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Entry into politics

Political staffer

Jones first important political job was as the legislative assistant to U.S. Representative Ed Edmondson (1961-1964) who represented Congressional district 2 from Oklahoma. Then, in 1965, Jones moved from the United States Congress to the White House where he served as Appointments Secretary (Chief of Staff) to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, the youngest person to hold that position (until Johnson left office in January, 1969).

Congressional service

Jones returned to Oklahoma and resumed his law practice in Tulsa, until 1972, when he decided to run for Congress from Oklahoma's first Congressional district. Jones won the November election and was re-elected six times, serving until January, 1987. During his tenure in Congress, Jones was (for four years) the Chairman of the House Budget Committee.

Jones decided to retire from the House of Representatives in 1986 and to run against Republican incumbent U.S. Senator Don Nickles, but he was unsuccessful.

Work after Congress

In 1987 Jones resumed the practice of law. He later served as the Chairman of the American Stock Exchange (1989 to 1993). After the election of Democratic President Bill Clinton, Jones was appointed the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and served from 1993 until 1997. In February, 2003, he was inaugurated Chairman of the World Affairs Councils of America.

Presently, he is a resident of Tulsa and Washington, D.C.

ee also

*Politics of Oklahoma
*Oklahoma Democratic Party
*Oklahoma Congressional Districts
*United States Ambassador to Mexico

External links

*congbio|J000232