William Atkinson Jones

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For other persons named William Jones, see William Jones (disambiguation).

William Atkinson Jones (March 21, 1849 – April 17, 1918) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1891 to 1918.

Jones graduated from the law department of the University of Virginia in 1870. He became active in Democratic Party politics and served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1880, 1896, and 1900.

Jones was elected to thirteen consecutive congresses beginning in 1891. From 1911 to 1918, he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Insular Affairs, which had jurisdiction over areas including the Philippines and Puerto Rico, and is best remembered as the House sponsor of the Jones Act (Philippine Islands) , which promised ultimate independence to the Philippines, and of the Jones-Shafroth Act which modified the Organic Act of Puerto Rico and conferred United States citizenship on Puerto Ricans.

Jones died in 1918. His personal and official papers were donated to the Special Collections Library of the University of Virginia and are open for research.