Ellis K. Meacham
Encyclopedia
Ellis Kirby Meacham was an American attorney and judge who wrote three Napoleonic era nautical adventures.
to C.W.K. Meacham, an attorney, and Jean Ellis. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
with an A.B. in 1935 and Vanderbilt University
with an LL.B in 1937. He married Jean Austin (a teacher and later dean at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
) on February 12, 1940. He served in the United States Navy Reserve
1941-1945, attaining the rank of commander
.
Meacham was an attorney in Chattanooga from 1937 to 1972, when he became a judge in the Chattanooga Municipal Court.
A grandson, Jon Meacham
, is the editor of Newsweek
and a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian.
in the United Kingdom. The hero of the books is Percival Merewether, an officer in the Honourable East India Company’s private navy, known as the Bombay Marine.
Personal life and career
Meacham was born in Chattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
to C.W.K. Meacham, an attorney, and Jean Ellis. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in...
with an A.B. in 1935 and Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
with an LL.B in 1937. He married Jean Austin (a teacher and later dean at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in...
) on February 12, 1940. He served in the United States Navy Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
1941-1945, attaining the rank of commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
.
Meacham was an attorney in Chattanooga from 1937 to 1972, when he became a judge in the Chattanooga Municipal Court.
A grandson, Jon Meacham
Jon Meacham
Jon Meacham is executive editor and executive vice president at Random House. A former editor of Newsweek and a Pulitzer Prize winning bestselling author and a commentator on politics, history, and religious faith in America, he is a contributing editor to Time magazine and editor-at-large of WNET...
, is the editor of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
and a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian.
Novels
Meacham wrote a Napoloeonic nautical trilogy set in India published by Little, Brown in the United States and Hodder & StoughtonHodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette.-History:The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged fourteen, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union...
in the United Kingdom. The hero of the books is Percival Merewether, an officer in the Honourable East India Company’s private navy, known as the Bombay Marine.
- The East Indiaman (1968) Set in 1806 - Merewether commands HEICS Rapid
- On the Company’s Service, (1971) Set in 1806-1807 - Merewether commands HEICS Rapid again, and serves as CommodoreCommodore (rank)Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
- For King and Company, (1976) Set in 1807-1808 – Merewether commands HEICS Pitt as a senior captain
Awards
- Founder's Medalist for 1937, Vanderbilt University Law School
- Friends of American Writers Major Award in Fiction ($1,000 prize) in 1969 for The East Indiaman
External links
- Meacham Writer's Workshop http://www.chattanoogastate.edu/Meacham/