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Jon Meacham

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"John Meacham" redirects here. For the professor, see John A. Meacham.
Jon Meacham
Photo of Jon Meacham
Born
Jon Ellis Meacham

(1969-05-20) May 20, 1969 (age 55)
Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
EducationUniversity of the South (BA)
Occupations
Spouse
Margaret Keith Smythe
​
​
(m. 1996)​
Children3
AwardsPulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography
WebsiteOfficial website

Jon Ellis Meacham (/ˈmiːtʃəm/; born May 20, 1969) is an American writer, reviewer, historian and presidential biographer who is serving as the Canon Historian of the Washington National Cathedral since November 7, 2021. A former executive editor and executive vice president at Random House, he is a contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review, a contributing editor to Time magazine, and a former editor-in-chief of Newsweek. He is the author of several books. He won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. He holds the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Endowed Chair in American Presidency at Vanderbilt University.

Early life and education

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Meacham was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.[1] His parents are Jere Ellis Meacham (1946–2008), a construction and labor-relations executive who was decorated for valor during the Vietnam War,[2] and Linda (McBrayer) Brodie. His paternal grandparents, Ellis K. Meacham and Jean Austin Meacham,[3] raised him after his parents' divorce.[4] When he was a child, his grandfather had discussions each morning with a group of men about local and national politics. As a result, Meacham developed an interest in politics. He received an invitation to Ronald Reagan's 1981 inauguration in Washington, D.C., in response to a letter that he sent to the president-elect.[4]

Meacham attended The McCallie School,[1][a] where he developed an interest in the civil rights movement.[6] He then went on to attend Sewanee: The University of the South where he graduated salutatorian and summa cum laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.[1][7]

Career

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Journalist and editor

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After college, he worked at The Chattanooga Times,[7] until he moved to Washington, D.C., in 1993 and became co-editor of Washington Monthly.[4] In 1995, he worked for Newsweek as the national affairs editor, and became managing editor in late-1998.[8][6][b] In 2006, he became editor-in-chief of Newsweek's print and online formats.[9]

A former executive editor and executive vice president at Random House,[10] he is a contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review and The Washington Post,[10] and a contributing editor to Time magazine.[11][c]

Biographer and book author

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He was the editor for Voices in Our Blood: America's Best on the Civil Rights Movement which was released in 2001. Spanning the period from 1941 to 1998, the book includes writings of noted civil-rights leaders, novelists, and journalists, like John Lewis, James Baldwin, William Faulkner, and David Halberstam.[6] His book, Franklin and Winston, Partners of an Intimate Relationship about Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, was released in 2003.[4]

Meacham has explored America's leaders in such works as Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power as well as his biography of Andrew Jackson, American Lion, which won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.[9][13][a] Jill Abramson writing in a book review in The New York Times states that Meacham's books are "well researched, drawing on new anecdotal material and up-to-date historiographical interpretations" and presents his "subjects as figures of heroic grandeur despite all-too-human shortcomings". In his biography of Jefferson, Meacham identifies qualities that would be helpful in the current political arena, "Jefferson repeatedly reached out to his enemies and showed ideological flexibility." Regarding the former president's stance on slavery, Meacham states, "Slavery was the rare subject where Jefferson's sense of realism kept him from marshaling his sense of hope in the service of the cause of reform."[9]

Selected by the Bush family to be the official biographer for George H. W. Bush, Meacham's book, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, was published in 2015. He gave eulogies for both President Bush and Barbara Bush when they died in 2018.[14]

Other appearances

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Meacham speaking at the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute in 2016

Over the years Meacham has been a frequent guest on various talk shows such as Charlie Rose, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Real Time with Bill Maher.[15][16] From May 2010 to April 2011, Meacham was co-host with Alison Stewart of Need to Know on PBS. He is also a frequent guest on CBS This Morning, Face the Nation, MSNBC's Morning Joe, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[17][18]

In 2014, Meacham appeared in Ken Burns' documentary series The Roosevelts: An Intimate History on PBS. He also appeared in a cameo in the 2018 film The Front Runner.

Meacham taught history at his alma mater, the University of the South, in 2014.[1] He was a visiting professor of political science at Vanderbilt University[19] before being appointed to the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair in American Presidency.[20] Meacham is also the co-chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy at Vanderbilt University.

Politics

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Meacham was asked to speak at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on the Soul of America. He endorsed Joe Biden, saying, "history, which will surely be our judge, can also be our guide. From Seneca Falls to Selma to Stonewall, we're at our best when we build bridges, not walls".[21] According to The New York Times, Meacham was part of the team writing some of Joe Biden's speeches for the 2020 United States presidential election, including Biden's acceptance speech,[22] and his 2024 State of the Union address.[23]

In November 2022, Meacham helped Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, write a speech announcing that she would not seek reelection to House Democratic leadership in the 118th United States Congress.[24]

Awards and honors

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Meacham has also been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities:

Personal life

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As of 2014, Meacham resides in Belle Meade, Tennessee.[36] He married Margaret Keith Smythe, called Keith, in 1996.[3][6] At the time of their marriage, she was a teacher, having studied at the University of Virginia and the University of Provence. She taught in Metz, France under a Fulbright Scholarship.[3] They have three children.[36]

Meacham is an Episcopalian, and was chosen as Canon Historian of Washington National Cathedral in 2021.[37][38]

Bibliography

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Title Year ISBN Publisher Subject matter Interviews, presentations, and reviews Comments
Voices in Our Blood: America's Best on the Civil Rights Movement 2001 ISBN 978-0-375-75881-2 Random House Civil rights movement Washington Journal interview with Meacham on Voices In Our Blood, February 21, 2001, C-SPAN Meacham was editor of this book
Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship 2003 ISBN 978-0-8129-7282-5 Random House Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill Presentation by Meacham on Franklin and Winston, November 5, 2003, C-SPAN
Booknotes interview with Meacham on Franklin and Winston, January 5, 2004, C-SPAN
Presentation by Meacham on Franklin and Winston, January 30, 2019, C-SPAN
Meacham discusses Franklin & Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library
American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation 2006 ISBN 978-0-8129-7666-3 Random House History of religion in the United States, Founding Fathers of the United States Interview with Meacham on American Gospel, June 14, 2006, C-SPAN
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House 2008 ISBN 978-1-4000-6325-3 Random House Andrew Jackson Presentation by Meacham on American Lion, November 16, 2008, C-SPAN
Washington Journal interview with Meacham on American Lion, December 18, 2008, C-SPAN
Presentation by Meacham on American Lion, September 26, 2009, C-SPAN
Interview with Meacham on American Lion, September 26, 2009, C-SPAN		 This book won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography[13]
American Homer: Reflections on Shelby Foote and His Classic The Civil War: A Narrative 2001 ISBN 9780679643708 Random House Shelby Foote, The Civil War: A Narrative Meacham was editor of this work, which is available as part of Random House's 2011 edition of the boxed set of Foote's Civil War trilogy[39]
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power 2012 ISBN 978-1-4000-6766-4 Random House Thomas Jefferson Presentation by Meacham on Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, November 14, 2012, C-SPAN
Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush 2015 ISBN 978-1-4000-6765-7 Random House George H.W. Bush Presentation by Meacham on Destiny and Power, November 8, 2015, C-SPAN
Discussion with Meacham and George W. Bush about the life and career of George H.W. Bush, November 8, 2015, C-SPAN
Presentation by Meacham on Destiny and Power, November 21, 2015, C-SPAN
Presentation by Meacham on Destiny and Power, September 24, 2016, C-SPAN
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels 2018 ISBN 978-0-3995-8981-2 Random House History of the United States Presentation by Meacham on The Soul of America, May 9, 2018, C-SPAN
Washington Journal interview with Meacham on The Soul of America, May 23, 2018, C-SPAN
Presentation by Meacham on The Soul of America, September 1, 2018, C-SPAN
Presentation by Meacham on The Soul of America, January 31, 2019, C-SPAN
Impeachment: An American History 2018 ISBN 978-1984853783 Modern Library Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Panel discussion with Meacham, Naftali, Baker, and Engel on Impeachment: An American History, February 20, 2019, C-SPAN Meacham wrote the portion of this book about the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson. Three other writers wrote on impeachment efforts related to other presidents: Timothy Naftali (Nixon), Peter Baker (Clinton), and Jeffrey A. Engel (Trump).
Songs of America: Patriotism, Protest, and the Music That Made a Nation 2019 ISBN 978-0-5931-3295-1 Random House Music of the United States Presentation by Meacham and Tim McGraw on Songs of America, January 29, 2020, C-SPAN Written with Tim McGraw.
The Hope of Glory: Reflections on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross 2020 ISBN 978-0-5932-3666-6 Convergent Books Sayings of Jesus on the cross
His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope 2020 ISBN 978-1-9848-5502-2 Random House John Lewis Presentation by Meacham on His Truth Is Marching On, September 26, 2020, C-SPAN
Interview with Meacham on His Truth Is Marching On, September 26, 2020, C-SPAN
Panel discussion featuring Meacham on John Lewis, March 23, 2021, C-SPAN
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle 2022 ISBN 978-0-553-39396-5 Random House Abraham Lincoln Interview with Meacham on And There Was Light, October 24, 2022, C-SPAN

Notes

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  1. ^ a b He read Robert V. Remini's three-volume biography of Jackson while in high school. Remini read Meacham's biography of Jackson in manuscript.[5]
  2. ^ The Star-Herald reported that Meacham became Managing Editor after three months on the job.[4]
  3. ^ Meacham has been strongly critical of President Donald Trump; in a 2018 New York Times article, he compared Trump to the Rev. Charles Coughlin, a Catholic priest known for his passionate radio sermons sprinkled with antisemitism. Meacham also drew an unfavorable comparison of Trump's manner of speaking with the more eloquent styles of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Jon Meacham (C'91) returns to Sewanee as a history professor". The Sewanee Purple. February 15, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  2. ^ "Meacham, Jere Ellis". October 1, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Smithe-Meacham engagement told". The Star-Herald. November 14, 1996. p. 24. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Journalist is topic for 21st Century Club". The Star-Herald. January 23, 2003. p. 18. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  5. ^ Yardley, William (April 5, 2013). "Robert Remini, Exhaustive Andrew Jackson Biographer, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Cass, Michael (February 5, 2001). "Meacham: Success no surprise to peers". The Tennessean. p. 15. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "University of the South marks 150 years". The Tennessean. October 11, 2007. pp. B2. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  8. ^ Cass, Michael (February 5, 2001). "Sewanee grad scales magazine heights". The Tennessean. p. 14. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Abramson, Jill (November 2, 2012). "Grand Bargainer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Kelly, Matt (September 23, 2014). "'Art of Power' Author Jon Meacham to Speak on Jefferson". Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  11. ^ Adweek, November 11, 2010 (September 9, 2011). "Jon Meacham Becomes Time Contributing Editor". Retrieved March 19, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Meacham, Jon (May 3, 2018). "Why Trump Is More Father Coughlin Than Franklin Roosevelt". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  13. ^ a b c "The 2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Biography". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  14. ^ Tackett, Michael (December 4, 2018). "Jon Meacham, Bush's Biographer, Will Also Deliver a Eulogy". The New York Times. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  15. ^ Real Time with Bill Maher (January 22, 2016), Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime – January 22, 2016 (HBO)
  16. ^ Real Time with Bill Maher (April 17, 2015), Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime – April 17, 2015 (HBO)
  17. ^ "Joe: Donald Trump's hostile takeover of the Republican Party". MSNBC. March 2, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  18. ^ "Meacham: Bush knew exactly what he was saying". MSNBC. November 6, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  19. ^ Elliott, Stephen (September 4, 2019). "Haslam joining Vanderbilt faculty for leadership course". Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  20. ^ "Historian Goodwin Says Look to Past Presidents for Easing Current Political Divide". Tennessee Tribune. November 7, 2019. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  21. ^ Hains, Tim (August 20, 2020). "Historian Jon Meacham Speaks On Final Night Of Democratic Convention". www.realclearpolitics.com. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  22. ^ Karni, Annie (November 9, 2020). "The historian Jon Meacham, who wrote of 'the soul of America,' has been working on Biden's speeches". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  23. ^ Rogers, Katie (2024-03-06). "Biden Preps for the State of the Union Speech and Rowdy Republicans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  24. ^ "Nancy Pelosi says she will not seek re-election as Democratic leader in House – as it happened". The Guardian. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  25. ^ The Lincoln Forum
  26. ^ Gregg, Becca (May 23, 2010). "Dickinson College sends graduates into the world". The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  27. ^ Mercer, Monica (May 16, 2010). "Sewanee honors Bush, Meacham". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  28. ^ "Sewanee announces honorary degree recipients". Episcopal Church. May 13, 2010. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  29. ^ "Honorary Degrees". Loyola University New Orleans. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  30. ^ "Pulitzer Prize winner Jon Meacham to address Loyola's centennial class". Loyola University New Orleans. March 20, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  31. ^ "2017: Honorary degrees". Wake Forest University. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  32. ^ "Jon Meacham to Give Middlebury College Commencement Address". Middlebury College. April 6, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  33. ^ "Board of Trustees Approves Honorary Degree for Pulitzer Prize Writer Meacham". University of Tennessee. March 30, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  34. ^ "Pulitzer Winner, Congresswoman to Address Class of 2018". University of Massachusetts Lowell. May 18, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  35. ^ "Millsaps announces honorary degree recipients: Jon Meacham, Jesmyn Ward, Dr. Lamar Weems". Mississippi Today. May 2, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  36. ^ a b Reed, Julia (July 15, 2014). "House Tour: Is This The Chicest Home In Nashville?". Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  37. ^ Paulsen, David (2021-03-10). "Washington National Cathedral names Jon Meacham canon historian". Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  38. ^ Jenkins, Jack (12 March 2021). "Washington National Cathedral names Jon Meacham canon historian". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  39. ^ "The Civil War Trilogy Box Set". Random House Group. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
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Jon Meacham
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