J. Erik Jonsson Oral History

Object number1992.009.0004

Date06/30/1992 - 11/10/1992

ClassificationsOral Histories

Oral history interview subject J. Erik Jonsson

Oral history interviewer Wes Wise

Oral history interviewer Bob Porter

ObjectOral history

Credit LineOral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

MediumHi-8 videotape

Dimensions245 Minutes

Terms

Collections

DescriptionVideotaped oral history interview with J. Erik Jonsson. A notable mayor in the years following the assassination (1964 - 1971), Mr. Jonsson was a long-time community leader who is credited with guiding the city through that traumatic period by establishing the Goals for Dallas program and other civic improvement projects. He was a co-founder of Texas Instruments and was involved in the planning and opening of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1973. As president of the Dallas Citizens Council in 1963, he met the presidential party at Love Field. Later that afternoon, Jonsson made the official announcement to the crowd at the Dallas Trade Mart that the president had been shot. He also traveled to Washington as one of several Dallas representatives to attend President Kennedy's funeral. Mr. Jonsson recorded three videotaped oral history interviews in 1992. Interviews conducted at Mr. Jonsson's home between June 30, 1992 and November 10, 1992 by Wes Wise with Bob Porter. The interviews are a total of four hours and five minutes long.

Curatorial Commentary

Mr. Jonsson passed away on August 31, 1995. Interestingly, the primary interviewer during Johnsson's oral history interviews, Wes Wise, succeeded J. Erik Jonsson as mayor of Dallas and served from 1971 to 1976. At the conclusion of the third and final interview session with Jonsson, Wise remarked, "You made a reference earlier about you and I being political opponents, but I want you to know that I've always considered you a very good friend, a very close friend, and I consider you a closer friend now more than I ever have before. And I hope you feel the same way about me." Jonsson then replied, "Of course I do. I haven't had time to hold grudges in my life for anybody or anything." - Stephen Fagin, Curator