The University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture Hall of Fame (GCA HOF) recognizes a select number of high-character individuals who have made a significant and lasting positive impact over time to Gibbs College (GCA), its students, staff, faculty, alumni, and/or to communities across the globe. The impact may have been, or continues to be, in the form of service and mentorship, sustained professional excellence, and/or advancement and financial support. Robert Lawton Jones is part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class.
Make a donation in honor of Robert Lawton Jones
Gifts made in memory of Robert L. Jones will support program enrichment activities in Gibbs College, such as scholarships, travel study, and professional development opportunities.
After growing up in McAlester, Oklahoma, Robert Lawton Jones (Bob) served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II. He received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame. A year later he met and married Ethlyn “Lynn” Scott in Chicago, Illinois. Professional licensing and a Master’s degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology followed. In 1953-54, he was a Fulbright Scholar at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, Germany. After 35 years of private practice with Murray Jones Murray in Tulsa, Bob was appointed Professor of Architecture and Director of the Graduate Program in Urban Design at the University of Oklahoma, a position he held for 11 years. He then served as Campus Planner for the University of Tulsa until his retirement at the age of 72.
Bob was admitted to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in 1970 and later served as chairman of its selection jury. He was also a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. The Jones residence in Tulsa (1959) is included on the National Registry for Historic Places.
Bob was committed to quality and the development of professional teams at a time of great social and economic change. Former associates describe him as “scholarly, witty and driven.” An early mentor was Mies Van der Rohe, arguably one of the world’s top four architects of the Modern Movement in the Twentieth Century. The work of Murray Jones Murray was published, exhibited or honored on 120 occasions.
Through his work, Bob sought to create architecture which would meaningfully respond to the imperatives of nature, humanity and technology. His 1963 presentation “Nature and the Built Environment” was the direct stimulus for the American Institute of Architects nation-wide program “The War on Ugliness,” one of the first professional efforts to address pollution in this country.
For over half a century, Bob and his wife, Lynn, were engaged in social justice and peace movements, efforts that have been recognized by the National Conference for Community and Justice, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, and many others. Bob died in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 14, 2018 at the age of 93.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
