Thomas V. Jones, '42, was many things—business risk taker, lavish spender, lover of fine wine and cigars—but he was best known for taking over a struggling Northrop Corp. and, during his three decades as CEO, turning it into a dominant military contractor. Jones died at his home in Los Angeles on January 7 of pulmonary fibrosis. He was 93.
A visionary in the world of aerospace, Jones was instrumental in the development of the B-2 flying wing stealth bomber and the F-5 and F-18 jet fighters at Northrop (now Northrop Grumman Corp.). When he joined the company in 1953 as an assistant to the chief engineer, it had only two projects: a plane and a missile. During his tenure, Jones grew the company from a small aerospace contractor to a key U.S. manufacturer of military aircraft. He invested more than $1 billion of Northrop's money to make it a leader in intelligence, cyber security and unmanned vehicles, according to the company.
Jones's success at Northrop landed him on the cover of Time magazine in 1961 as a leader in the burgeoning aerospace industry. "He was such a unique figure," says his son, Peter, '78. "He was an engineer and the head of a corporation at the height of the Cold War, and he had an innate ability to sell products: in this case, less expensive airplanes. My dad had always had a vision in his mind, and he always made it come true."
While making investments on behalf of Northrop, Jones traveled and mingled with European royalty, befriending Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran, as well as air force chiefs around the world. He was so close to the shah, according to his son, that Jones received a kilogram of caviar every year from him. Jones was known for hosting lavish parties at his mansion in Bel-Air, Calif., and he formed strong ties with top political figures, including former President Reagan.
Yet despite his many successes, Jones was involved in a string of controversies, including investing more than $1 billion to develop the F-20 fighter that he hoped to sell to both the Air Force and foreign nations, including Taiwan. The United States blocked the sale of the jet as its relationship with China grew stronger, and eventually two F-20s crashed during flight demonstrations and training. In 1964, Jones pleaded guilty to making illegal contributions to President Nixon's re-election campaign, and in 1975 he signed an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, promising not to bribe foreign officials.
In his retirement, Jones turned to making expensive wine, creating Moraga Vineyards on the land adjacent to his home in Southern California. Last year he sold his estate to Rupert Murdoch. His wife of 67 years, Ruth, died in 2013. In addition to his son, Jones is survived by his daughter, Ruth; two grandchildren; and two siblings.
Julie Muller Mitchell, '79, is a writer in San Francisco.
