John T. Shaw

John T. Shaw was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, the second oldest of six children. He received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and his master's in History from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He began his career working for the Governor of Illinois then participated in a training program with the European Union in Brussels before segueing to journalism with a position at the Wall Street Journal Europe. John was a congressional and diplomatic reporter in Washington, D.C. for more than twenty-five years. He is currently the Director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.

John’s essays have been published in the Chicago Tribune, HuffPost, The Boston Globe, and The American Interest. His media appearances include C-SPAN, WBEZ Chicago, WGN-TV Chicago, KMOX St. Louis, PBS NewsHour, Sky News Australia, ABC’s 20/20. For eight years he was a political analyst for KPCC/LAist Southern Calif. Public Radio. He has been interviewed for the documentaries Kennedy (History Channel) and This is the House that Jack Built (PBS) and has been a media fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. John has been a guest speaker at the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate, National Archives, The Washington Post’s diplomatic seminars, US Senate Library, Hoover Institution, German Marshall Fund, Meridian International Center, The Consular Corps of Washington, Dole Institute of Politics, University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and number embassies in Washington, DC.

His latest book, The Education of a Statesman: Lessons In Global Leadership, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2024. It chronicles the remarkable career of Swedish diplomat, Jan Eliasson, one of the most respected envoys of his generation. Eliasson is highly skilled at combining statecraft, stagecraft, and soulcraft. His career and reflections illuminate the daunting challenges facing the world and outline the path to a more hopeful future.

John is the author of five previous books.

- "Rising Star, Setting Sun: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and the Presidential Transition that Changed America." January 1961 marked a transition of presidential power that ushered in a new era in American politics and culture. Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, and John Kennedy, the 35th president, were two of the most intriguing and compelling political figures of the 20th century. This study of the ten-week transition period chronicles the end of the Age of Eisenhower and the arrival of the Age of Kennedy.

- "JFK in the Senate: Pathway to the Presidency." While serving as the junior senator from Massachusetts from 1953 to 1960, John F. Kennedy mastered the nuances of American politics. JFK in the Senate explains how he used the upper chamber as a policy and political training ground and launching pad to become only the second person in US history to go directly from the Senate to the White House.

- "Richard G. Lugar, Statesman of the Senate." Examines the legislative acumen of Richard Lugar of Indiana and shows how a senator can influence American foreign policy. Lugar was the two-time chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and one of the most widely respected foreign policy experts in Congress.

- "The Ambassador: Inside the Life of a Working Diplomat." An in-depth look at Jan Eliasson, Sweden's ambassador to the United States from 2000 to 2005. The Ambassador describes what it takes to successfully represent a foreign country in the US and how a master diplomat can influence global politics. Foreword by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

- "Washington Diplomacy." A compilation of more than five dozen profiles of diplomats, scholars, and leaders in international affairs. Introduction by former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.