McCallum, Jack 1945–

(Jack Edward McCallum)

PERSONAL:

Born October 24, 1945. Education: Georgia Institute of Technology, bachelor's degree; Emory University, M.D.; Texas Christian University, Ph.D., 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Home— Fort Worth, TX. Office— History Department, Texas Christian University, Reed Hall, Rm. 302, Fort Worth, TX 76129. E-mail— jemmd@swbell.net

CAREER:

Neurosurgeon and writer. Baylor Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX, medical director; Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, professor of history, 2001—.

WRITINGS:

Leonard Wood: Rough Rider, Surgeon, Architect of American Imperialism, New York University Press (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

After retiring from a career as a neurosurgeon, Jack McCallum earned a Ph.D. in history and became a university professor. His well-received biography,Leonard Wood: Rough Rider, Surgeon, Architect of American Imperialism, chronicles the life and influence of Leonard Wood (1860-1927), a physician who served in the U.S. Army and achieved fame for his leadership in the Spanish-American War. Recognized in his day for making important contributions to the organization of the U.S. military, Wood fell into relative obscurity after the World Wars of the twentieth century. Reviewers welcomed McCallum's book for bringing renewed attention to a figure whose influence remains relevant.

Born to a New England family without social or economic connections, Wood hoped to attend West Point but was rejected. Like McCallum, he earned his bachelor's degree at Georgia Tech; he then worked his way through Harvard Medical School, and—again like McCallum—completed his medical residency at Boston City Hospital. In 1885 financial problems prompted Wood to seek a career with the U.S. Army. He was sent to the southwest, where the army was engaged in its last campaign against the Apaches. As McCallum shows, Wood thrived under the difficult physical conditions of this campaign, during which he was sometimes placed in command of line troops. Wood was present when the Apache Geronimo surrendered in 1886. In 1898 he received the Medal of Honor for his role in the Apache campaign. After several modest posts, Wood sought a position in Washington, DC. Though he made some political enemies there, he also made important friends, including Theodore Roosevelt. According to Richard J. Norton, reviewing Leonard Wood in the Naval War College Review, one of the few shortcomings of the biography is "that this real and deep friendship is not seriously explored."

His bond with Roosevelt helped assure Wood a commanding role in the Spanish-American War. As Norton observed, "The story and success of the Rough Riders is well known, and much of that success is owed to Leonard Wood." At the war's end the physician became governor-general of Cuba, where he supported efforts to research and treat yellow fever, and improved sanitation and health administration. Wood was next posted to the Philippines. The brutal tactics of his campaigns against Muslim insurgents there earned him considerable notoriety.

In 1910 Wood became Army Chief of Staff. During his tenure he implemented several new programs, including an early version of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), the Mobile Army, and the General Staff Corps. In 1920 Wood campaigned for the Republican nomination for president, but lost to Warren G. Harding. He retired from the military in 1921, serving as the unpopular Governor-General of the Philippines from 1921 to 1927. He died later that year of a brain tumor.

While praising McCallum for his extensive research and clear writing style, Norton observed in his review of Leonard Wood that the book contains disappointingly little analysis of its subject's personality or the social context of his actions. Despite this reservation, Norton found the book a timely study. "McCallum suggests that part of the reason Wood has been forgotten is that his strengths and weaknesses remind us too much of ourselves," wrote Norton. "If this is so, then the life and fate of Wood are more deserving of study than ever."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Journal of Military History, April, 2006, Edward M. Coffman, review of Leonard Wood: Rough Rider, Surgeon, Architect of American Imperialism, p. 523.

London Review of Books, April 20, 2006, Andrew Bacevich, "Denizens of Baghdad's Green Zone, Take Note," p. 26.

Military History, June 2006, Mike Oppenheim, "Leonard Wood Embodied Early U.S. Imperialism as Much as His Friend Theodore Roosevelt," p. 66.

Naval War College Review, spring, 2007, Richard J. Norton, review of Leonard Wood.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 25, 2005, Harry Levins, review of Leonard Wood.

ONLINE

Jack McCallum Home Page,http://www.jackmccallum.com (October 18, 2007).