Jon Wiener facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jon Wiener
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| Born | May 16, 1944 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Princeton University (BA) Harvard University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Historian, Political writer, Author |
| Years active | 38+ |
| Employer | University of California, Irvine |
| Spouse(s) | Judy Fiskin |
Jon Wiener (born May 16, 1944) is an American historian and journalist. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
He is well-known for his 25-year legal fight to get the FBI to release its secret files on John Lennon. Wiener helped show how the government watched Lennon closely. He is an expert on the FBI's actions against the former Beatle.
Wiener is a retired professor of U.S. history at the University of California, Irvine. He hosts a weekly podcast called Start Making Sense. He also writes for The Nation magazine and hosts a radio show in Los Angeles.
His recent book, Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties (2020), tells the story of social movements in Los Angeles. It covers the civil rights, Black power, and Chicano movements. It also looks at the anti-war movement, gay liberation, and women's liberation. The book describes battles between young people and the LAPD on Sunset Strip and at Venice Beach. It also explores the counterculture, like folk music clubs and alternative radio stations.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Wiener was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His parents were Gladys and Dr. Daniel Wiener. He went to Central High School.
He then attended Princeton University. There, he started a group called Students for a Democratic Society. This group protested the Vietnam War. He earned his bachelor's degree from Princeton in 1966. Later, he received his Ph.D. from Harvard.
Career Highlights
Teaching History
At the University of California, Irvine, Jon Wiener taught history classes. These classes focused on American politics and the Cold War. He also took his students on trips to the Nixon Library.
Jon Wiener and the John Lennon FBI Files
Jon Wiener spent over two decades fighting the U.S. government in court. He wanted them to release secret files about John Lennon.
Why the FBI Watched Lennon
In the late 1960s, many young Americans were against the Vietnam War. John Lennon became a strong voice against the war. This made then-President Richard Nixon worried about his chances of being reelected in 1972.
Many historians believe Nixon asked the FBI to watch Lennon. This likely happened after Lennon came to New York and met with anti-war activists. The government watched Lennon very closely for about 11 months.
The Plan to Deport Lennon
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) tried to deport Lennon in 1972. This was probably at the request of President Nixon. According to Wiener, Nixon's team worried that Lennon was talking to anti-war leaders. They discussed a "tour" that would mix rock music with anti-war organizing and voter registration. This could encourage young voters to vote against Nixon.
A reporter named Adam Cohen wrote in The New York Times in 2006. He agreed that the FBI watched Lennon for political reasons, not just anti-war concerns. Many friends, including singer Bob Dylan, wrote letters to the INS. They asked for Lennon to be allowed to stay.
After Nixon was reelected in November 1972, the FBI stopped watching Lennon. They said Lennon had shown "inactivity in Revolutionary Activities." Wiener believes the FBI succeeded in stopping Lennon's opposition to Nixon's reelection. John Lennon was sadly murdered in December 1980.
Wiener vs. the FBI in Court
In 1981, Jon Wiener was researching a book about John Lennon. He found out the FBI had hundreds of pages of files on Lennon. Wiener asked for these files to be released. He used a law called the Freedom of Information Act.
The FBI refused to release most of the files. They claimed the documents contained "national security" information. The pages they did release had large parts blacked out.
In 1983, Wiener sued the FBI. He got help from the ACLU. The FBI released some more documents. But they still held back others. They said releasing them could lead to "military retaliation against the United States."
Wiener wrote about his struggles in his 1984 book Come Together. A big moment came in 1991. A court ruled that the FBI had not given good enough reasons to keep the files secret. The FBI had to provide more details.
The case, called Wiener v FBI, went on for many years. In 1997, Wiener and the FBI reached an agreement. Most of the documents were released. The government also paid $204,000 for court costs and lawyer fees. However, ten documents were still held back.
Finally, in 2006, the last eight or ten documents were released. Wiener said these pages showed that Lennon had contacts with leftist and anti-war groups in London. But they did not show that government officials saw Lennon as a serious threat.
Sharing the Story
Wiener wrote about his legal battles in his 2000 book, Gimme Some Truth: The John Lennon FBI Files. He also wrote about the case for newspapers and magazines like The Guardian and The Nation.
Wiener's work was the basis for the 2006 documentary The U.S. vs. John Lennon. He was a historical consultant for the film and appeared in it. He also appeared in the 2010 documentary LENNONYC.
An ACLU lawyer involved in the case said that Wiener v FBI showed "government paranoia at a pathological level." It also showed an attempt to hide government abuse of civil liberties by claiming "national security."
Other Books by Jon Wiener
Jon Wiener has written seven books. Besides Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties, he also wrote Historians in Trouble: Plagiarism, Fraud and Power in the Ivory Tower. In this book, he looked at academic scandals. He suggested that careers are only ended when powerful groups demand punishment.
He also edited Conspiracy in the Streets: The Extraordinary Trial of the Chicago Seven. This book included parts of the trial transcript from the 1968 Chicago Conspiracy trial. In that trial, activists faced charges after anti-war protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
His earlier book, How We Forgot the Cold War: A Historical Journey across America, explored Cold War monuments and museums. It highlighted how people were skeptical about America's victory.
What Critics Say
Critics have had different reactions to Wiener's books. For Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties, Kirkus Reviews called it "a richly detailed portrait of a city that seethed with rebellious energy." The Los Angeles Times called it "authoritative and impressive."
Publishers Weekly said it was "an indispensable portrait of an unexplored chapter in history." The Guardian called it "a vital primer in resistance, a gift to the future from the past."
For his book Come Together: John Lennon in His Time, New York Times Book Review said it was one of the few books that didn't try to make Lennon a god or spread rumors.
See also
- John Lennon
- Give Peace a Chance
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
Images for kids
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FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover
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John and Yoko Lennon recording Give Peace a Chance in 1969.
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Lennon likely didn't know about the FBI watching him in the early 1970s.
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President Nixon's wife, Pat Nixon, spoke at the Republican National Convention in August 1972.
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The FBI first released heavily blacked-out pages of Lennon's file.
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Wiener received this less-blacked-out copy after many years of legal action.
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A parrot was reported to have said "Right on!" during heated discussions.
