Barclay G. Jones, Cornell professor of city and regional planning and regional science who was a noted expert on protecting historic structures from earthquake damage and on the social and economic devastation of national disasters, died May 26 at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, N.Y. He was 72.

The cause of death was myocardial infarction, according to his son, Barclay Jones III, of Locust Valley, N.Y.

A native of Camden, N.J., Jones had taught at Cornell University since 1961.

Up until his death, Jones was a member of the executive and research committees of the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (NCEER) at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was responsible for the center's program in disaster research and planning. He wrote extensively on the social and economic aspects of earthquakes. His most recent work was a January 1997 NCEER Special Report, "Economic Consequences of Earthquakes: Preparing for the Unexpected." In the report's preface, he wrote, "The economic cost of earthquakes and other natural disasters is continually rising, and the potential future losses are staggering. The existing federal machinery for providing assistance after disasters is reaching a point where it will no longer work. It needs to be completely overhauled and new mechanisms devised."

He also was an authority on earthquake damage prevention and wrote and edited dozens of books and papers on the subject, including Protecting Historic Architecture and Museum Collections from Natural Disasters (1986) and "Protecting Historic Structures from Hurricane and Earthquake Hazards" (1990).

He was one of the key researchers in a five-year, $50 million study funded by the National Science Foundation and New York state to investigate earthquake hazards in the eastern United States and the behavior of concrete and steel structures in an earthquake.

He was a sought-after consultant for municipalities across the Northeast, conducting studies on tourism for Cape May (N.J.) County, economics for Bucks (Pa.) County and flood recovery for Wilkes Barre, Pa. His consulting work took him abroad, where was an adviser on the preservation of cultural relics and historic sites for the People's Republic of China; he also served as a consultant for the U.S. State Department on regional development and planning issues in Tanzania and Jordan.

Jones was recognized numerous times for his professional achievements. He was named a Fellow of the U.S. International Council on Monuments and Sites in 1986; received the National Parks Service's 1988 Public Service Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior; and was named Distinguished Planning Educator by the American Collegiate Schools of Planning in 1990.

At Cornell, Jones directed the Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research/Program in Urban and Regional Studies and initiated the Historic Preservation Planning program. His other administrative posts at Cornell include chair of the Department of Policy Planning and Regional Analysis and director of the Center for Housing and Environmental Studies.

As a professor, Jones took great interest in the work of his students. His role as a mentor was of great importance to him, and he met with students at all hours of the day -- and night -- to answer their questions. Often, when making an appointment with Jones, students would ask whether the meeting was set for a.m. or p.m. Jones is especially noted for his special attention to doctoral candidates in planning. He supervised almost 100 dissertations.

In 1992 the Barclay G. Jones Endowment for Planning Programs was established at Cornell by Thomas W. Jones, BA '68, MRP '72, president and chief operating officer of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF). The income from the fund is used in the planning department and the graduate field of city and regional planning to emphasize training in the use of quantitative methods of analysis. "This endowment is dedicated to Barclay Jones in recognition that everybody stands on somebody's shoulders -- and over the years Barclay has willingly offered his shoulders to many of his students, including me," Jones said.

Prior to joining Cornell, Jones taught at the University of California at Berkeley.

His professional affiliations were varied, among them the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Economic Association, American Institute of Architects and the American Statistical Association.

He earned a bachelor's degree in art (1948) and architecture (1951) from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in regional planning (1955) and a doctorate in economics (1961) from the University of North Carolina.

Jones served in the U.S. Army in World War II and was placed in a German prisoner of war camp. He was honored with a Purple Heart.

In addition to his son, he is survived by a daughter, Louise, of Columbus, Ohio, and three grandchildren.