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Internationally renowned architect Fay Jones (1921-2004) chose to build his career in his native Arkansas, far from design centers on the east and west coasts. Inspired by the wooded hills of the Ozarks, he created a unique style that stands apart from architectural trends.

Fay Jones is celebrated for designing soaring sacred spaces and modern homes warmed by native materials. He received numerous awards, culminating in 1990 with the highest honor an American architect can receive, the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. The AIA later honored Jones as one of the country’s “10 most influential living architects” and ranked his masterwork, Thorncrown Chapel, as the fourth best building by an American architect in the 20th century.

A member of the University of Arkansas’ first graduating class of architecture students, Jones taught for 35 years and served as the School of Architecture’s first dean. Jones’ passion for architecture inspired generations of students; his international reputation also drew outstanding practitioners to lecture and teach on campus, helping to establish the school’s national reputation for excellence.

In 1999, Don and Ellen Edmondson, former clients of Jones, created an endowment that supports the Fay Jones Chair in Architecture. Thanks to a subsequent generous gift from the Edmondsons, the school became the Fay Jones School of Architecture in 2009.