Jon Meacham

Jon Meacham is an American historian, biographer, and commentator known for his bestselling works on pivotal American presidents and the nation's political and moral development. A winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, he is a contributing writer for The New York Times and a regular guest on major television networks. Meacham's career spans publishing, journalism, and public commentary, positioning him as a prominent voice on American history and contemporary politics.

Early life and education

Jon Meacham was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and grew up in a family with a strong interest in history and literature. He attended McCallie School, a private preparatory school in his hometown, where he developed his early passion for writing and historical study. For his undergraduate education, Meacham enrolled at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, an institution affiliated with the Episcopal Church. He graduated summa cum laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature, serving as editor-in-chief of the university's newspaper, The Sewanee Purple.

Career

Meacham began his professional career at The Chattanooga Times, working as a reporter before moving to Washington, D.C.. In 1995, he joined Newsweek magazine, where he rose rapidly, becoming the publication's managing editor in 1998 and its editor in 2006. During his tenure, he oversaw coverage of major events including the September 11 attacks, the Iraq War, and the 2008 presidential election. After leaving Newsweek in 2010, Meacham focused on writing and public speaking. He has held the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Endowed Chair at the University of the South and serves as a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University. He is a contributing writer for The New York Times and a regular analyst for networks like NBC News, MSNBC, and PBS.

Works

Meacham is the author of several acclaimed non-fiction books that explore the intersections of leadership, faith, and American democracy. His first major work, Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship (2003), examined the relationship between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House (2008), a bestselling portrait of the seventh President of the United States. Subsequent bestsellers include Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power (2012), Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush (2015), and The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels (2018), which addresses historical cycles of national anxiety. His later works, such as His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope (2020) and And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (2022), continue his focus on moral leadership.

Awards and honors

For his biography American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, Meacham was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 2009. He has also received the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Ambassador Book Award for Franklin and Winston. Meacham holds several honorary doctorates from institutions including Wake Forest University and Middlebury College. In 2022, he was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society, one of the oldest learned societies in the United States.

Personal life

Jon Meacham has been married to Margaret Keith, a former copy editor at The New York Times, since 1995. The couple has three children and divides their time between Nashville, Tennessee, and Sewanee, Tennessee. An active member of the Episcopal Church, Meacham has served on the vestry of the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville. He is also involved with various educational and cultural institutions, including serving on the boards of the New-York Historical Society and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Category:American historians Category:American biographers Category:Pulitzer Prize winners Category:1969 births Category:Living people