Founder Profile
J. Erik Jonsson
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is J. Erik Jonsson?
J. Erik Jonsson is a founder of Texas Instruments Inc., which was founded in 1951 with Patrick E. Haggerty, Cecil H. Green and Eugene McDermott.
- Company founded
- Texas Instruments Inc.
- Founded
- 1951
- Co-founders
- Patrick E. Haggerty, Cecil H. Green and Eugene McDermott
Background
Mechanical engineer who worked at ALCOA before joining Geophysical Service Inc. (GSI).
Founding Story
J. Erik Jonsson (1901-1995) was a co-founder of Texas Instruments. In 1930, he joined GSI, an oil exploration firm, and later orchestrated the buyout of the company alongside Cecil Green and Eugene McDermott on the eve of WWII. He pivoted the company toward defense electronics (submarine detection), eventually renaming it Texas Instruments in 1951. He served as President and Chairman, laying the groundwork for the company's massive entry into the semiconductor industry.
Education: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Montclair High School.
John Erik Jonsson was born on September 6, 1901 and died on August 31, 1995. He later became Mayor of Dallas, where he backed the building of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).