James Robert "Jim" Jones (born May 5, 1939) is a lawyer, a Democratic politician, a retired U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma, and a former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.Jones grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma and was involved in politics at an early age. He worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative Ed Edmondson and as Appointments Secretary to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.In 1972, after returning to Oklahoma, Jones ran for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district.