In Passing: John Dean Caldwell

John Dean Caldwell, respected defense analyst and noted national security scholar died unexpectedly following surgery to correct a previously undiagnosed ulcer in Torrance, California. He was born in Pittsburgh, PA on November 14, 1940 to Dr. David Caldwell, a thoracic surgeon and his wife Jean. In 1945 the family relocated to Santa Barbara where Dr. Caldwell became medical director of the county hospital. In 1955 John enrolled as a resident student at the Cate School in Carpinteria. At Cate, John acquired a host of lifelong friendships and a deep and enduring loyalty to the school. He served as trustee for many years and held leadership roles in a number of advancement campaigns. Matriculating at Amherst College, John graduated with honors in 1963. Entering the PhD program in political science at University of California, Santa Barbara in 1964, John completed his course work and advanced to candidacy in 1967.

In 1967 John began a long career in research and consulting during the Vietnam War period. From 1968 through 1970 he worked on counterinsurgency and civil development projects in Thailand and Vietnam under contract to the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense. This work providing the basis for his subsequent PhD dissertation. 

In the 1970s, the focus of John’s professional work shifted to issues of criminal justice. During this period, he worked for a number of companies, and at one point was a partner in his own research firm. John managed a number of extensive projects including a year-long study and integration design for criminal justice agencies in Ventura County, California. This work culminated in the building of a modern county-wide justice center substantially funded as a demonstration project by the federal government. John also led intensive research and design efforts in Portland and Cleveland.

In 1982, John returned to his earlier interest in national security. He relocated to Los Angeles to work on classified research for TRW. John worked as an employee of TRW/Northrop for twenty-five years, retiring in 2007 and continuing to serve as a contractor and mentor until the very end. His professionalism was recognized across the company as he worked on proposals for aircraft, helicopters, space missions, and his final proposal to replace America’s ICBM program with a Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD). John’s gruff exterior sometimes masked his remarkably kind and caring soul. When co-workers faced serious life challenges or needed help with their careers, John was often first with active, effective support. He cared deeply about the Corporation and the Proposal Operations Section.

John’s brilliant book was shared and discussed widely at Northrop. John set a standard for excellence within the Ops Proposal shop and virtually everything John set his mind to emerged as a quality product. One former colleague wrote: “Those of us who benefited from getting to know John and learning about his extraordinary attributes and capabilities will carry with us the insights we gained.”

Throughout his adult life John remained a serious intellectual and committed political conservative. A voracious reader in international affairs, military history, economics and American politics with an incisive mind. John was almost always the best informed with the most effectively organized arguments in any group. Calm, articulate, witty and with a razor-sharp mind, John made and retained a wide circle of friends throughout his lifetime.

The 2019 publication of Anatomy of Victory: Why the United States Triumphed in World War II, Fought to a Stalemate in Korea, Lost in Vietnam and Failed in Iraq was a remarkable achievement. Writing and rewriting what emerged as a 500-page book consumed most of John’s attention after his retirement. His book reveals prodigious research incorporating over a century of military, diplomatic and historical scholarship fitted within a highly original analytical framework. Termed strategic architecture analysis, the book exhibits John’s gifts for synthesizing and making assessable complex forces shaping the United States over the last seventy-five years. Former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster characterized the work “Excellent! Fills an important void in our understanding about policy, strategy, and operations.” John’s success in persuading a risk-adverse major commercial publishing house to fund and promote this work written by a scholar operating outside traditional university networks for over half a century reveals the breadth of John’s learning and his determination and notable grit as well.

In addition to his wife, Karen, John is survived by his sister Jan, her husband, Larry, and their sons, Trevor, his wife Gabrielle, and Jason of Kensington, California.