John D. Wirth

Who was John D. Wirth?

John Davis Wirth was the Gildred Professor of Latin American Studies at Stanford University. Wirth earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1958 and a doctorate in Latin American history in 1967 from Stanford. His dissertation was entitled Brazilian economic nationalism: trade and steel under Vargas. His first book, The Politics of Brazilian Development, 1930-1954, won the Bolton Prize in 1971 and his second, Minas Gerais in the Brazilian Federation, 1889-1937, won an honorable mention in 1978.

Wirth cultivated a wide range of interests during his scholarly career. His research included examinations of Inca and Aztec states, urban growth in Manchester and São Paulo, and Pan-American environmental politics. Wirth, who had retired from Stanford prior to his death, had most recently turned his attention to the complex relationships between Canada, the United States and Mexico. He co-founded the North American Institute in Santa Fe and served as its president.

Wirth was born in Dawson, New Mexico. in 1936 and developed a deep affection for the northern New Mexico region.