Jack Weatherford

Jack McIver Weatherford (born in 1946) is an American anthropologist and author, best known for his 2004 book, '' Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World''.

Through his academic publications and broader writing, Weatherford has brought global attention to overlooked histories, enriching public understanding of cultural exchange, innovation, and the evolving dynamics of power throughout history.

Biography

In 1946 Weatherford was born on a farm in Dovesville, South Carolina to Anna Ruth Grooms and Alfred Gregg Weatherford, as the oldest of seven children. His father fought in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and died from Agent Orange Disease with the rank of Sergeant. In 1964, Weatherford graduated from Dreher High School with Walker Pearce to whom he was married from 1970 until her death from multiple sclerosis in 2013. After a graduate degree from the University of South Carolina, where he also worked as an informant for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) in a case that later became ''Bursey v. Weatherford'', he earned his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of California, San Diego with additional graduate work at Frankfurt University and Duke University. He worked as legislative assistant to Senator John Glenn and taught for twenty-nine years at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he held the DeWitt Wallace Distinguished Chair of Anthropology.

His books include '' Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World'' (1988), which was translated into numerous languages; ''Native Roots: How the Indians Enriched America'' (1991), and ''Savages and Civilization: Who Will Survive?'' (1994) on the contemporary clash of world cultures. Weatherford's early books on Native Americans won the Minnesota Book Award in 1989 and in 1992. He also received the 1992 Anthropology in the Media Award from the American Anthropological Association, and the 1994 Mass Media Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

He became more widely known for his book, ''The History of Money'' (1997), which was chosen as a selection of the Conservative Book of the Month Club. In addition, Weatherford's articles about the anthropology of 20th-century American politics and analysis of its clans, have led to his being invited as a commentator on radio and television programs, including '' The Today Show'', '' ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings'', ''Geraldo's Now It Can Be Told'', ''Larry King'', ''All Things Considered'', ''Nightwatch'', ''Tony Brown's Journal'', and the ''Voice of America.'' In 2014 Bolivia honored him for this work on the indigenous people of the Americas with the Order of the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho, Antonio José Sucre and named him Honorary Cultural Ambassador of Bolivia’s Casa de Libertad in the Constitutional Capital Sucre, and honorary citizen of Potosí.

Since the late twentieth century, Weatherford has studied and published on the cultures and history of Mongolia. Most notably for his influential book ''Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World'', which debuted on the New York Times best-seller list in 2004 and helped reshape popular understanding of Mongol history. His work has received widespread acclaim for challenging traditional Western narratives and bringing greater global awareness to Mongolia’s historical impact. In 2011, the book was named CNN's "Book of the Week", further solidifying its influence and reach.

Weatherford’s contributions have been recognized with several prestigious honors. In 2006, he was awarded the ''Order of the Polar Star'', Mongolia’s highest national honor. He received further recognition in 2010 with an honorary order from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia and a Medal from the President of Mongolia. In 2014, the Government of Bolivia awarded him the ''Order of Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho''. Most notably, on November 24, 2022, Chinggis Khan’s birthday celebration in Mongolia, Weatherford became the first foreign recipient of the prestigious ''Order of Chinggis Khan'', bestowed by the President of Mongolia.

Books

* 2024: ''Emperor of the Seas: Kublai Khan and the Making of China''
* 2016: ''Genghis Khan and the Quest for God: How the World's Greatest Conqueror Gave Us Religious Freedom''
* 2010: '' The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire''
* 2004: '' Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World''
* 1997: ''The History of Money''
* 1994: ''Savages and Civilization: Who Will Survive?''
* 1991: ''Native Roots: How the Indians Enriched America''
* 1988: '' Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World''
* 1987: ''Narcoticos en Bolivia y los Estados Unidos'' - La Paz, Bolivia: Los Amigos del Libro
* 1986: ''Porn Row''
* 1981: ''Tribes on the Hill''

Articles and Chapters

* 2010, "The Wrestler Princess", ''Lapham's Quarterly''
* 2006, "Restoring Order: Conquering Iraq in the 13th and 21st Centuries. Could Genghis Khan teach the US?", ''The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus'', January 7, 2006. ''The Los Angeles Times'', December 29, 2006.
* 2005, "The Women Who Ruled the Mongol Empire", ''Globalist Document - Global History'', June 20, 2005
* 2000, "Peniaze a pad Rmmskej rm?e," ''OS: Fsrum Ob ianskej Spolo nosti'', Bratislava, Slovakia, June
* 2000, "A Scholarly Quest to Understand Genghis Khan," ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'', April 14, p.B10. Also serialized in ''The Mongol Messenger'', April - 26 May 3, 2000
* 2000, "Blood on the Steppes: Ethnicity, Power, and Conflict in Central Asia," in ''Conformity and Conflict'', James P. Spradley & David W. McCurdy (ed.), Boston: Little, Brown
* 1998, "Our Money, Our Selves," ''Anthropology Newsletter'', April
* 1997, "Money and Change in World Perspective," ''General Anthropology'', III-2, Spring
* 1996, "Impact of American Indian Civilizations on Europe and the World," in ''The Encyclopedia of the American Indian'', Frederick E. Hoxie (ed.), Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company
* 1994, "Cultural Chaos and the Crisis of Civilization," ''Anthropology Newsletter'', October
* 1994, "Kinship and Power on Capitol Hill," in ''Conformity and Conflict'', James P. Spradley & David W. McCurdy (editors), Boston: Little, Brown & Co
* 1994, "Producing a Trade Book," in ''Media Anthropology: Informing Global Citizens'', Susan L. Allen (editor), Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey
* 1993, "Cultural Castaways," ''Icarus'', Summer, 11
* 1993, "Tribal Politics in Washington," ''Political and Legal Anthropology Review'', Vol 16, #1
* 1992, "Wie die Indianer die Welt verdnderten," ''Entwicklung'', Nr. 37, July
* 1991, "Indian Season in American Schools," ''The Social Studies''
* 1987, "Cocaine and the economic deterioration of Bolivia," in ''Conformity and Conflict'', James P. Spradley & David W. McCurdy (editors), Boston: Little, Brown & Co
* 1987, "Big Men on Capitol Hill," in ''Conformity and Conflict'', James P. Spradley & David W. McCurdy (editors), Boston: Little, Brown & Co
* 1987, "Language in Political Anthropology," in ''Power and Discourse'', Leah Kedar (editor), Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishers
* 1987, "Tribes on the Hill: Kinship and Politics in the United States Congress," in ''Cultural Anthropology'', Serena Nanda (ed.), Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing
* 1986, "Die Zerr, ttung Boliviens durch Kokain," ''Freibeuter'' 28
* 1986, "The Clans on Capitol Hill," in ''Contemporary Cultural Anthropology'', Michael D. Howard, Boston: Little, Brown & Co
* 1982, "Kongresskultur," ''Freibeuter'', 12. Berlin, Germany
* 1981, "Labor and domestic life cycles in a German community," in ''Dimensions of an Anthropology of Aging'', Christine L. Fry (editor), South Hadley, Mass: Bergin & Garvey
* 1980, "Life Cycle and the American Family," in ''Public Policy and the American Family'', Z.I. Giraldo. Massachusetts: Lexington Books (D.C. Heath & Co.)
* 1980, "Age ethnicity in the American Family," with Carol Stack in ''Families and Older Persons'', George L. Maddox, Illene C. Seigler & Dan Blazer (editors). Duke University: Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development
* 1980, "Millennium of Modernization," in ''Village Viability in Contemporary Society'', P.C. Reining & Barbara Lenkerd (editors). AAAS Volume 31, Boulder, Colorado: Westview
* 1978, "Deutsche Kultur, amerikanish betrachtet," in ''Deutschland: Das Kind mit zwei Kvpfen'', Hans C. Buch (editor), Berlin: Klaus Wagenbach Verlag. Reprint: ''Wahre Wohnung - Ware Wohnung'', Bauvk-Papiere #40, Institut f, r Bauvkonomie, Univ. Stuttgart, 1982
* 1975, "Anthropology and Nannies," ''Man: Royal Anthropological Society'', Vol 10, No. 2, June.

Book Reviews

* 1998, New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans, and the Remaking of Early America, Colin G. Calloway, ''The William and Mary Quarterly''
* 1997, Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Our National Debt, John Steele Gordon, ''Civilization'', February
* 1996, O Brave new Words! Native American Loanwords in Current English, Charles L. Cutler, ''Plains Anthropologist'', May
* 1992, In the Spirit of the Earth: Rethinking History and Time, Calvin Martin Luther, ''Hungry Mind Review'', Winter
* 1991, Culture and Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis, Renato Rosaldo, ''Native American Quarterly''
* 1991, District Leaders, Rachel Sady, ''American Anthropologist'', Vol 93, #3, September
* 1989, The Hold Life Has: Coca and Cultural Identity in an Andean Community, Catherine Allen, ''Anthropological Quarterly''
* 1989, Cocaine: White Gold Rush in Peru, Edmundo Morales, ''Anthropologica'' 31:1
* 1986, "Political birds of Guatemala," ''Hungry Mind Review'', I

Newspapers, Magazines, and Other Publications

* 2016, "What Genghis Khan Could Teach Trump"
* 1999, "Mongolerna ? svker sin plats i vdrldsekonomin," ''Dolly'', April
* 1999, "The Mongols from the Silk Route to Cyberspace," ''Udriin Sonin'', Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, May 4
* 1998, "Cash in a Cul-De-Sac," ''Discover'', October, 19, 10
* 1998, "Euron redan gammalmodig ndr pengarna blir digitala," ''Dolly'', Stockholm, Sweden, August I, 1
* 1998, "Let Common Cents Prevail on Wall Street," ''The Wall Street Journal'', March 26
* 1998, "Money Talks. Here's What It Says About Us," ''Washington Post'', January 4
* 1997, "How Rome built a new ballpark," ''Star Tribune'', February 9
* 1997, "The Plastic curtain," ''Washington Post'', February 18
* 1997, "Dump Bronze Age bucks for electronic money," ''USA Today'', April 24
* 1994, "Tribal people could teach us civilization," ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'', March 17
* 1994, "US policy on rights hypocritical," ''Boston Herald'', February 15
* 1994, "Captain Cook's Legacy," ''Los Angeles Times'', January 18
* 1994, "What a year for the Natives," ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', January 21
* 1992, "The Grand Exchange Map," (Senior Consultant), ''National Geographic'', February
* 1992, "Among the Gifts of Native America," ''Native Peoples'', Fall
* 1992, "A Veterans Day salute to dreams deferred," ''San Francisco Examiner'', November 9
* 1992, "Religious Freedom still eludes Native Americans," ''Star Tribune'', February 20
* 1991, "Preserving our nation's past to protect its future," ''The Miami Herald'', April 14
* 1990, "Image and Idea in Nonfiction," ''A View from the Loft'', Vol 13, #2, September
* 1989, "Thanksgiving Menu Subject to Change," ''Detroit News'', November 23
* 1989, "Honoring Columbus honors legacy of slave-trading, genocide," ''St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch'', October 10
* 1989, "The real drug war is in the U.S.," ''Atlanta Constitution'', September 27
* 1989, "Indians and the 4th," ''The Evening Sun'', Baltimore, July 4
* 1988, "The World Owes a Debt to the Indian Givers," ''Detroit News'', November 24. Also published as "American Indians were the World's Greatest Farmers," in ''Cleveland Plain Dealer'', November 24
* 1981, "Capitol Hill Clans," ''The New York Times'', December 13
* 1981, "Playing tribal politics in Congress," ''Rocky Mountain News'', Denver, December 6

External Links

Official websiteJack Weatherford Foundation

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weatherford, Jack
Year of birth missing (living people)
Mongolists
Historians of Mongolia
American ethnographers
American anthropologists
Macalester College faculty
Writers from Columbia, South Carolina
University of South Carolina alumni
Duke University alumni
Living people