Jones, Billy Mac, 1925-2007

Dates

• Existence: 1925 April 25 - 2007 October 27

Biography

Billy Mac Jones was born in Abilene, Texas on 1925 April 25. He attended San Angelo College where he earned the Junior College All-American Honors as a football player. He left to serve in the Navy during World War II, and upon his return he married Doris Jane Hudson and was awarded a football scholarship to Vanderbilt University. After he graduated in 1950, he entered George Peabody University for his Master’s degree. After a few years of teaching and coaching football, he earned his Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. Jones joined Angelo State University faculty in 1963 and was chairman of the History Department and dean of students. He was awarded the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor award for 1967.

The college became a university as Jones' presidency began in 1969 (Southwest Texas State College to Southwest Texas State University). Growth and national turmoil continued during Jones’ four-year tenure as president. He celebrated completion of the J.C. Kellam and Speech & Drama buildings located amidst former fish ponds of the Federal Fish Hatchery. Recognizing the implications of university status, Jones broadened institutional offerings with new applied departments (Criminal Justice and Allied Health Sciences) and restructured the institution into three colleges: arts and sciences, professional schools and graduate. Committed to better facilities, Jones launched planning for a new student center, and a mini-domed athletic-convocation center that, though scrapped when Jones left, led to the construction of Bobcat Stadium and Strahan Coliseum. Enrollment grew from 8,406 to 11,804 before Jones resigned in 1973 to accept the presidency of Memphis State University.

Jones served as president at Memphis State for eight years. In 1998, they named a building on campus in his honor, The Billy Mac Jones Advancement Building. Upon retiring from Memphis State, he served as an endowed professor in the College of Business Administration at Wichita State University, and as Chair of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management from 1980-1992. During his time there, Jones authored many books and articles.

He died in San Angelo, Texas in 2007 October 27.

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