William C. Jones, the Charles F. Nagel Professor Emeritus of International and Comparative Law died Friday, Sept. 16, 2005, after a brief illness. He was 79.
Jones was an internationally acclaimed scholar on Chinese law. He translated the last major imperial Chinese legal code — The Great Qing Code — and the first precursor of the civil code of the People’s Republic of China — The General Principles of the Civil Law. Jones also authored the popular legal reference book, Basic Principles of Civil Law in China.
“Bill Jones was a quintessential scholar, a dedicated teacher and a wonderful colleague,” said Dorsey D. Ellis, Jr. the William R. Orthwein Distinguished Professor of Law. “He was self-effacing, soft-spoken and considerate of others. Everyone who knew him considered him a friend.”
Jones joined the School of Law in 1955 as an assistant professor. During his 40 years teaching at the University, Jones served as a lecturer for the International Association for Teaching Comparative Law, a visiting professor or scholar at universities around the world, and a Fulbright lecturer at Wu Han University in China.