John O. Baxter ’49

Jack, a rancher and historian, died July 24, 2025, in Albuquerque, N.M. He was 97.

He was born in Chicago and, after the early death of his father, grew up in Philadelphia where the family moved after his mother remarried; he attended Germantown Friends School there. He spent summers on his paternal grandfather’s ranch in Montana branding cattle, irrigating, putting up hay, and participating in rodeos. He served in the Army prior to entering Princeton; at Princeton he majored in history and was a member of Cap and Gown.

After graduation, Jack returned to Montana, learning the cattle business and eventually forming the Baxter & Jones Livestock Co. with his uncle and cousin. He later moved to Colorado to work as a cattle buyer and livestock dealer, and in 1969 settled in Santa Fe, N.M., where his interest in the region led him to earn a doctorate in history from the University of New Mexico. As a historian of the American Southwest, he is most well-known for his books Las Carneradas: Sheep Trade in New Mexico, 1700-1860; Dividing New Mexico’s Waters, 1700-1912; and Cowboy Park: Steer-Roping Contests on the Border.

Jack was a consultant for the New Mexico State Engineer and produced many reports on water rights and the history of irrigation.

His first marriage to Mary K. White ended in divorce. He was predeceased by his second wife, Lenore Schwartz Baxter, his brother, and his sister. Jack is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; two daughters; a grandson; and a large extended family of stepchildren, step-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.