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Jack Temple Kirby (August 22, 1938 – August 6, 2009) was an American historian who wrote about the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
and the persistent stereotyping of Southerners. He was awarded the Bancroft Prize for his 2006 book ''Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South''.


Early life and education

Kirby was born on August 22, 1938, in
Portsmouth, Virginia Portsmouth is an independent city in southeast Virginia and across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval M ...
, his ancestors having immigrated to the South in the 17th century, by family tradition. Throughout his college education he majored in history, earning his bachelor's degree at
Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia w ...
and then attending the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
, where he was awarded a master's degree and a doctorate.Hevesi, Dennis
"Jack T. Kirby, Southern Historian, Dies at 70"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', August 13, 2009. Accessed August 14, 2009.
Professionally, Kirby was hired in 1965 to serve on the faculty of
Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...
, where he was professor of history until his retirement in 2002. He also served as president of the
Southern Historical Association The Southern Historical Association is a professional academic organization of historians focusing on the history of the Southern United States. It was organized on November 2, 1934. Its objectives are the promotion of interest and research in Sout ...
. In his published works — he authored or edited seven books — Kirby tried to dispel the sweeping generalizations of Southerners from books that he felt were aimed at "making Northern white folks feel good about themselves by telling the same story over and over again about the South". His 1978 book ''Media-Made Dixie'' took issue with the portrayal of Southerners using "clichés of racists, graceful landed gentry, poverty, homespun rural values, stock-car racers and moonshiners". Rather than focusing on the South as it really exists, the books show depictions from the dawn of the cinema and the creation of best seller lists, starting at
D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...
's ''
The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Clan ...
''. His 2006 book ''Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South'', published by the University of North Carolina Press was awarded the Bancroft Prize in 2007 by jurors at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
as a book that is set in the South but has far greater reach and speaks "profoundly on the relationships of Americans — and of humankind — to the natural world".LMK
"Columbia Announces 2007 Bancroft Prize Winners Esteemed Historians Robert D. Richardson and Jack Temple Kirby to Receive Awards"
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
press release, April 20, 2007. Accessed August 15, 2009.


Personal

He relocated to
St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabi ...
following his retirement from Miami University. Kirby died at age 70 of
heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...
on August 6, 2009, in St. Augustine, Florida. He was survived by Dr. Constance Pierce, an English professor at Miami University who was Kirby's companion for 17 years, as well as by a daughter, a son and two grandchildren. His first marriage ended with his divorce of the former Ann Bulleit.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirby, Jack T. 1938 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers Miami University faculty Old Dominion University alumni People from Portsmouth, Virginia People from St. Augustine, Florida University of Virginia alumni Bancroft Prize winners Historians from Virginia Historians from Florida American male non-fiction writers