Frank Jones ’63

Past President, ARA Board
Retired Partner and Of Counsel, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
BA 1963, Rice University
JD 1966, University of Texas School of Law

Term as Past President ends: 2021

Get to Know Frank

Executive Biography

Frank G. Jones graduated from Rice University in 1963 and from the University of Texas School of Law in 1966, each with honors. While at Rice, he served as president of Baker College and was a member of the Rally Club. During law school, Frank was elected to membership on the Texas Law Review and as president of Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity. He has spent his entire legal career with the firm now known as Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, having become a partner in 1974 and a retired partner and of counsel in 2006. Frank served as co-managing partner of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Houston office prior to his retirement. He was elected to fellowship in both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Frank’s bar service includes serving as president of the Houston Young Lawyers Association and president of the Houston Bar Foundation. He served as a member of the board and of the executive committee of the Greater Houston Partnership. Frank currently serves on the boards of the San Jacinto Museum of History, the Friends of the Texas Room of the Houston Public Library and the Mayor’s Public Service Advisory Committee. He is a co-chancellor of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and will be honored by the Texas Bar Foundation at the 2018 Texas Bar Convention as one of four “Outstanding 50-Year Lawyer Award” recipients for 2018. He is the author of “Lessons from the Courtroom.” Frank’s involvement with Rice includes serving on the Class of 1963 reunion committee (including his 50th reunion), membership on the Association of Rice Alumni (ARA) Board of Directors and on various ARA committees, and serving as president of the Rice Historical Society. He is also a member of the Owl Club, the Friends of Fondren Library, the Shepherd Society, the Baker Institute and the Rice University Fund Council.

What part of serving on the ARA Board are you most excited about?

I have always enjoyed interacting with Rice students, classmates, and faculty. I am looking forward to the additional opportunities for interaction serving on the Board will give to me.

What is your favorite “Only at Rice” memory or story?

This occurred, not at Rice, but in my last year of law school at UT in the fall of 1965. Rice was playing the Longhorns in Austin. UT had been ranked no. 1 in the nation until it lost to SMU the week before the Rice game, but was still highly ranked. Rice had lost most, if not all, of its games coming into the meeting with UT and was, of course, unranked. Texas led 17-0 at the half. Rice came back and won 20-17. The tower, lighted orange after a UT win, was a beautiful white that night; Rice graduates who were also law students had their dates leave them because they were so distraught at the UT loss; and Rice alumni who had not come to Austin for the game drove up just to be there for the Rice celebration. Rice did not defeat Texas again until 1994, this time in Houston.

If you could give one piece of advice to Rice students, what would it be?

Enjoy all aspects of your experience - interaction with other students and faculty; visiting lecturers; off-campus events; sporting events; but don't forget to study and work hard. There will be life after Rice, and you need to be prepared for it.