Clay S. Jenkinson
Encyclopedia
Clay Straus Jenkinson is an American
humanities
Rhodes scholar, Danforth Scholar, and author.
; his father was a banker and his mother a schoolteacher. Although the family moved quite often when he and his sister were children, Jenkinson grew up mostly in Dickinson
in southwest North Dakota
. He graduated from Dickinson High School in 1973 and then attended the University of Minnesota
in the Twin Cities. He graduated in 1977 with a degree in English, and was then a Rhodes scholar at Oxford.
At the age of 50, Jenkinson returned to North Dakota
as a permanent resident in 2005 and resides in Bismarck
. He is currently the Director of The Dakota Institute through The Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, Chief Consultant to The Theodore Roosevelt
Center through Dickinson State University
, Distinguished Humanities Scholar at Bismarck State College
, and a columnist for the Bismarck Tribune
.
He is James Marsh Professors-at-Large at the University of Vermont
.
Jenkinson has one daughter, Catherine Missouri, from his marriage ending in 1997. Catherine was named after the Little Missouri River, which Jenkinson has said he finds poetic.
. As co-founder of the modern Chautauqua
movement, Jenkinson has also portrayed Sir Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift
, J. Robert Oppenheimer, John Wesley Powell
, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
, Theodore Roosevelt
, and Meriwether Lewis
.
Jenkinson's public portrayals take the form of lengthy monologues followed by Q & A sessions as the character (in costume) featured for that performance. At the end of his performances, he steps out of character and answers questions as himself. Another performance variation is represented by his nationally syndicated radio show, "The Thomas Jefferson Hour
":
On November 15, 2006, Clay appeared as Jefferson on The Colbert Report with two other Jefferson impersonators, Bill Barker and Steven Edenbo.
once described Jenkinson as, “A leader in the revival of Chautauqua
, a forum for public discussion about the ideas and lives of key figures in American history.” Others who have received this award include Ken Burns
, Bill Moyers
and Charles Kuralt
.This year, Jenkinson received the Robert J. Laxalt
Writer of the Year Award from University of Nevada-Reno.
Jenkinson was a senior fellow for the Center for Digital Government, based in California
, and was scholar-in-residence at Lewis & Clark College
in Portland, Oregon
from 2002–2006 , and Roosevelt scholar-in-residence at Dickinson State University
from 2005-2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
Rhodes scholar, Danforth Scholar, and author.
Life
Jenkinson was born in MinotMinot, North Dakota
Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
; his father was a banker and his mother a schoolteacher. Although the family moved quite often when he and his sister were children, Jenkinson grew up mostly in Dickinson
Dickinson, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,010 people, 6,517 households, and 4,020 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,690.7 inhabitants per square mile . There were 7,033 housing units at an average density of 742.7 per square mile...
in southwest North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. He graduated from Dickinson High School in 1973 and then attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in the Twin Cities. He graduated in 1977 with a degree in English, and was then a Rhodes scholar at Oxford.
At the age of 50, Jenkinson returned to North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
as a permanent resident in 2005 and resides in Bismarck
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
. He is currently the Director of The Dakota Institute through The Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, Chief Consultant to The Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
Center through Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University is a four-year public university in Dickinson, North Dakota, United States, and is a part of the North Dakota University System...
, Distinguished Humanities Scholar at Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College
Bismark State College is the third largest college in the North Dakota University System with approximately 4200 students. It is a comprehensive community college that offers two-year and four-year degree plans. BSC offers the first two years of education toward a bachelor's degree in most fields...
, and a columnist for the Bismarck Tribune
Bismarck Tribune
The Bismarck Tribune is a daily newspaper printed in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Tribune is the primary daily newspaper for south-central and southwest North Dakota. Its average daily circulation is 31,081 on Sundays and 27,620 on weekdays. One notable reporter for the paper was Mark H...
.
He is James Marsh Professors-at-Large at the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
.
Jenkinson has one daughter, Catherine Missouri, from his marriage ending in 1997. Catherine was named after the Little Missouri River, which Jenkinson has said he finds poetic.
Portrayal of Jefferson
He first achieved fame for his portrayal (first-person historical interpretation) of Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
. As co-founder of the modern Chautauqua
Chautauqua
Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...
movement, Jenkinson has also portrayed Sir Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
, J. Robert Oppenheimer, John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell was a U.S. soldier, geologist, explorer of the American West, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions...
, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
, Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, and Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
.
Jenkinson's public portrayals take the form of lengthy monologues followed by Q & A sessions as the character (in costume) featured for that performance. At the end of his performances, he steps out of character and answers questions as himself. Another performance variation is represented by his nationally syndicated radio show, "The Thomas Jefferson Hour
The Thomas Jefferson Hour
The Thomas Jefferson Hour is a syndicated public radio program produced in Bismarck, North Dakota. It features author-historian Clay S. Jenkinson in a first-person portrayal of Thomas Jefferson, the third US President...
":
While staying resolutely in character, Mr. Jenkinson permits Jefferson to answer audience questions on a broad range of historical subjects and comment carefully on contemporary social and political topics.
On November 15, 2006, Clay appeared as Jefferson on The Colbert Report with two other Jefferson impersonators, Bill Barker and Steven Edenbo.
Awards
In 1989, Jenkinson became one of the first winners of the nation’s highest award in the humanities, the Charles Frankel Prize. The National Endowment for the HumanitiesNational Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
once described Jenkinson as, “A leader in the revival of Chautauqua
Chautauqua
Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...
, a forum for public discussion about the ideas and lives of key figures in American history.” Others who have received this award include Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
, Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
and Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...
.This year, Jenkinson received the Robert J. Laxalt
Robert Laxalt
Robert Laxalt was a Basque-American writer from Nevada.-Biography:Sweet Promised Land , Laxalt's first and possibly best-known book, was based on the history of his father, Dominique, and his return to the homeland after forty-seven years as an immigrant sheepherder in Nevada...
Writer of the Year Award from University of Nevada-Reno.
Jenkinson was a senior fellow for the Center for Digital Government, based in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and was scholar-in-residence at Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College is a private institution of higher learning located in Portland, Oregon. Made up of an undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Law, and a Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Lewis & Clark is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges with athletic...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
from 2002–2006 , and Roosevelt scholar-in-residence at Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University is a four-year public university in Dickinson, North Dakota, United States, and is a part of the North Dakota University System...
from 2005-2008.
External links
- Thomas Jefferson Hour.org - official site
- Dakota Sky Education.com - Jenkinson's informational website
- Clay Jenkinson column - The Bismarck TribuneBismarck TribuneThe Bismarck Tribune is a daily newspaper printed in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Tribune is the primary daily newspaper for south-central and southwest North Dakota. Its average daily circulation is 31,081 on Sundays and 27,620 on weekdays. One notable reporter for the paper was Mark H...
- 02-Oct-2005 - Prairie Public.org - Clay Jenkinson at 50 - 04-Feb-2005
- Dickinson State University - faculty directory