Jerry D. Thompson
Encyclopedia
Jerry Don Thompson is Regents Professor
of History
at Texas A&M International University
in Laredo
, Texas
. He is a prolific author of books on a variety of related topics, specializing in the American Civil War
, the history of the Southwestern United States
, and Texas History. According to WorldCat
, two of his books are available from more than six hundred major libraries worldwide --Confederate General of the West: Henry Hopkins Sibley
, and Civil War in the Southwest: Recollections of the Sibley Brigade.
Thompson was born to Jerry W. Thompson, Jr. (1920-2010), and Jo Thompson (1917-1982) in Springerville
in Apache County
in eastern Arizona
, but reared in the unincorporated community of Quemado
in Catron County
in western New Mexico
. He holds a Doctor of Arts
degree in history
from Carnegie Mellon University
in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
, a Master of Arts
in history from the University of New Mexico
at Albuquerque
, and a Bachelor of Arts
in History from Western New Mexico University
in Silver City
. Thompson has served in the past as Dean
of the College of Arts and Humanities at Texas A&M International and Chairperson of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the Laredo Community College
, when it was still named Laredo Junior College.
In 2001, Thompson was named Regents Professor of History by the Texas A&M University System
Board of Regents. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his scholarship, including the Minnie Stevens Piper Fellowship; T.R. Fehrenback Award, by the Texas Historical Commission
; Kate Broocks Bates Award, by the Texas State Historical Association
; Gaspar Perez de Villagra Award, by the Historical Society of New Mexico; and Barry Goldwater
Award, by the Arizona Historical Society
.
In 2008, his book Cortina: Defending the Mexican Name in Texas won the Texas Institute of Letters award for "Best Scholarly Book." Thompson won over sixteen other nominees. The book is a biography
of controversial Mexican revolutionary, bandit, and folk hero Juan Cortina
(1824-1894). Thompson told the Laredo Morning Times
that he did not seek to portray Cortina as an heroic figure because "he was a very flawed individual, but I tried to be objective and tell the truth." With records on Cortina scattered from Laredo to Mexico City
to Yale University
, Thompson spent twenty years on the project.
In 1861, Cortina, nominally loyal to the Union, confronted Confederate States of America
Colonel Santos Benavides
in a battle in Zapata
. Because Cortina lacked the resources to fight, Benavides decisively defeated him. As Thompson studied both men, he concluded that Cortina "completely overshadowed Benavides", for whom a Laredo elementary school
is named.
In November 2008, Thompson elaborated further on his book before a group of United South High School students in Laredo: "Cortina defended people who were unable to defend themselves. There is so little written about him, but he is the only person in history to have a war named after him."While Cortina defeated the Texas Rangers
, the U.S. Army thereafter subdued him. Thompson noted that little is included about Cortina in history books because "history is written by the winners."
Thompson is a former president of the Texas State Historical Association
.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University, often referred to as TAMIU, is a public, co-educational, state-supported university located in Laredo, Texas...
in Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He is a prolific author of books on a variety of related topics, specializing in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the history of the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, and Texas History. According to WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
, two of his books are available from more than six hundred major libraries worldwide --Confederate General of the West: Henry Hopkins Sibley
Henry Hopkins Sibley
Henry Hopkins Sibley was a brigadier general during the American Civil War, leading the Confederate States Army in the New Mexico Territory. His attempt to gain control of trails to California was defeated at the Battle of Glorieta Pass...
, and Civil War in the Southwest: Recollections of the Sibley Brigade.
Thompson was born to Jerry W. Thompson, Jr. (1920-2010), and Jo Thompson (1917-1982) in Springerville
Springerville, Arizona
Springerville is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States within the White Mountains. Its postal ZIP code is 85938. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 1,956.Springerville sits at an elevation of 6,974 feet...
in Apache County
Apache County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*23.3% White*0.2% Black*72.9% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.0% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
in eastern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, but reared in the unincorporated community of Quemado
Quemado, New Mexico
Quemado is an unincorporated community in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Walter De Maria's 1977 art installation, The Lightning Field, is between Quemado and Pie Town, New Mexico....
in Catron County
Catron County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.8% White*0.4% Black*2.7% Native American*0.2% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.1% Two or more races*3.7% Other races*19.0% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
in western New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. He holds a Doctor of Arts
Doctor of Arts
The Doctor of Arts is a discipline-based terminal doctoral degree that was originally conceived and designed to be an alternative to the traditional research-based Doctor of Philosophy and the education-based Doctor of Education . Like other doctorates, the D.A. is an academic degree of the...
degree in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in history from the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
at Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, and a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in History from Western New Mexico University
Western New Mexico University
Western New Mexico University, a public university located in Silver City, New Mexico, has served the people of the state of New Mexico and its surrounding areas as a comprehensive, regional, rural, public coeducational university since 1893 and caters to a student body diverse in age, culture,...
in Silver City
Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 10,545. It is the county seat of Grant County. The city is the home of Western New Mexico University.-History:...
. Thompson has served in the past as Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the College of Arts and Humanities at Texas A&M International and Chairperson of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the Laredo Community College
Laredo Community College
The Laredo Community College, or LCC, was established as Laredo Junior College on September 28, 1947, by the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas...
, when it was still named Laredo Junior College.
In 2001, Thompson was named Regents Professor of History by the Texas A&M University System
Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States. Through a statewide network of eleven universities, eight state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the Texas A&M System educates over 100,000 students, conducts more than $600...
Board of Regents. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his scholarship, including the Minnie Stevens Piper Fellowship; T.R. Fehrenback Award, by the Texas Historical Commission
Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas....
; Kate Broocks Bates Award, by the Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association
The Texas State Historical Association or abbreviated TSHA, is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the rich and unique history of Texas. It was founded on March 2, 1897. As of November 2008, TSHA moved from Austin to the University of North Texas in Denton.The executive...
; Gaspar Perez de Villagra Award, by the Historical Society of New Mexico; and Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
Award, by the Arizona Historical Society
Arizona Historical Society
The Arizona Historical Society is a non-profit organization whose goal is to collect, preserve, interpret, and disseminate the history of Arizona, the West, and Northern Mexico as it pertains to Arizona. It does this through 4 regional divisions. Each division has a representative museum...
.
In 2008, his book Cortina: Defending the Mexican Name in Texas won the Texas Institute of Letters award for "Best Scholarly Book." Thompson won over sixteen other nominees. The book is a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of controversial Mexican revolutionary, bandit, and folk hero Juan Cortina
Juan Cortina
Juan Nepomuceno Cortina Goseacochea , also known by his nicknames Cheno Cortina and the Red Robber of the Rio Grande, was a Mexican rancher, politician, military leader, outlaw and folk hero...
(1824-1894). Thompson told the Laredo Morning Times
Laredo Morning Times
The Laredo Morning Times is a daily newspaper publication based in Laredo, Texas, USA. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation.The Laredo Morning Times was founded on June 14, 1881 as "the Laredo Weekly," a four-page newspaper published by James Saunders Penn. Two years later, the paper became a...
that he did not seek to portray Cortina as an heroic figure because "he was a very flawed individual, but I tried to be objective and tell the truth." With records on Cortina scattered from Laredo to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Thompson spent twenty years on the project.
In 1861, Cortina, nominally loyal to the Union, confronted Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Colonel Santos Benavides
Santos Benavides
Santos Benavides was a Confederate colonel during the American Civil War. Benavides was the highest-ranking Tejano soldier in the Confederate military.-Biography:...
in a battle in Zapata
Zapata, Texas
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,089 people, 4,328 households, and 1,265 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 629.9 people per square mile . There were 2,239 housing units at an average density of 290.4 per square mile...
. Because Cortina lacked the resources to fight, Benavides decisively defeated him. As Thompson studied both men, he concluded that Cortina "completely overshadowed Benavides", for whom a Laredo elementary school
United Independent School District
United Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Laredo, Texas, United States.UISD serves portions of the city of Laredo, the cities of El Cenizo and Rio Bravo, and several unincorporated areas in Webb County...
is named.
In November 2008, Thompson elaborated further on his book before a group of United South High School students in Laredo: "Cortina defended people who were unable to defend themselves. There is so little written about him, but he is the only person in history to have a war named after him."While Cortina defeated the Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
, the U.S. Army thereafter subdued him. Thompson noted that little is included about Cortina in history books because "history is written by the winners."
Thompson is a former president of the Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association
The Texas State Historical Association or abbreviated TSHA, is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the rich and unique history of Texas. It was founded on March 2, 1897. As of November 2008, TSHA moved from Austin to the University of North Texas in Denton.The executive...
.