Dr. Michael Louis Kurtz

Michael Louis Kurtz died peacefully in Hammond, Louisiana, surrounded by family and friends, on Saturday, March 1, 2025. He was 83. He is survived by his son, Michael David Kurtz, and his brother, Louis Kurtz, as well as by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Isabel Katharine Stoddard Kurtz, parents Louis and Ethel Philibert Kurtz, and brother Leonard Kurtz.

Dr. Kurtz was born in New Orleans on August 26, 1941. He attended Jesuit High School and then obtained a degree in history from the Louisiana State University at New Orleans (now UNO) as part of its second graduating class. He went on to obtain a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate from Tulane University.

While completing his doctorate, he moved to Hammond to become a professor at Southeastern Louisiana University in the Department of History and Government, as it was then called. He remained at SLU for 50 years, serving not only as a professor and author but also as Dean of the Graduate School. His courses were always popular with the students, especially those on the Kennedy Assassination and Crime in America, which were routinely full. He was also active in the Louisiana Historical Association, serving as its President in 1985. He was the author of several books, including Crime of the Century: The Kennedy Assassination from a Historian’s Perspective; Earl K. Long: The Saga of Uncle Earl and Louisiana Politics (coauthored with Morgan Peoples); The JFK Assassination Papers: Lone Gunman versus Conspiracy; and the modern portion of Louisiana: A History, the textbook used in most collegiate Louisiana history courses. Crime of the Century was particularly well-read, running through multiple editions and being translated into a number of languages.

Outside of work, Dr. Kurtz loved sports, cats, gardening, and humor running from the sublime to the absurd. And of course, he was a voracious consumer of history books, which he continued to read until his passing. He was a loving and devoted husband and a wonderful father. He will be deeply missed by his family and many friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Visitation at Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home, 2000 N. Morrison Blvd., Hammond, LA 70401, on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to the Tangipahoa Humane Society, Alley Cat Allies, or your local animal shelter.