Profile Text
Birth Name: Jon Ellis Meacham
Place of Birth: Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 20, 1969
Ethnicity: English, Scottish, Welsh, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish
Jon Meacham is an American writer, reviewer, historian, and presidential biographer. He is a contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review, and a contributing editor to Time magazine, and was an executive editor and executive vice president at Random House and an editor-in-chief of Newsweek. He has been Canon Historian of the Washington National Cathedral, since November 7, 2021.
Jon is the son of Linda and Jere Meacham. He is a practicing Episcopalian.
Jon’s paternal grandfather was Ellis K. Meacham (Ellis Kirby Meacham, the son of Cowan White Kirby Meacham and Eunice Jean Ellis). Ellis was born in Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee, and was a City Judge, attorney, and writer. Cowan was the son of Matthew Alexander Meacham and Alice B. Kirby. Eunice was born in South Carolina, the daughter of Samuel Cowdell Ellis and Mary Ida McLeod, who were from Nova Scotia, Canada, with Samuel being from Berwick, Kings, and Mary being from Nictaux, Annapolis.
Jon’s paternal grandmother was Jean Bevan Austin (the daughter of James Bevan Austin and Ethel M. Hand). Jean was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and was an UTC professor and dean. James was born in Logansport, Cass, Indiana, the son of George Austin, who was English, and of Katherine/Katie E. Bevan, whose father was also English, from Heytesbury, Wiltshire. Ethel was born in Indiana, the daughter of Charles Louis Hand and Mary Virginia Kannapel.
Jon’s maternal grandfather was Elmer Eugene McBrayer (the son of Joseph Ernest McBrayer and Lola Cathcart). Elmer was born in Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee. Joseph was born in Marion County, Tennessee, the son of Joseph Green McBrayer and Laura Dane. Lola was born in Georgia, the daughter of John O. Cathcart and Nora Blackburn.
Jon’s maternal grandmother was Irene Barnes (the daughter of Morris Elijah Barnes and Carrie Lou Bentley). Irene was born in Gatlinburg, Sevier, Tennessee. Morris was born in North Carolina, the son of Hugh Benjamin “Ben” Barnes and Elizabeth Gosnell. Carrie was the daughter of William Bentley and Nora Elizabeth “Betty” Reed.
Sources: Genealogy of Jon Meacham – https://famouskin.com
Obituary of Jon’s father (focusing on his own father’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com
Jon’s paternal grandmother, Jean Bevan Austin, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org