Michael L. Kurtz

Michael L. Kurtz
Born(1941-08-26)August 26, 1941
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
DiedMarch 1, 2025(2025-03-01) (aged 83)
Hammond, Louisiana
EducationUniversity of New Orleans

University of Tennessee

Tulane University
OccupationsHistorian
Professor emeritus at Southeastern Louisiana University
Notable workAssassination of John F. Kennedy
Political party
Republican
SpouseIsabella Stoddard Kurtz

Michael L. Kurtz (August 26, 1941 – March 1, 2025) was an American professor emeritus of history at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He was known for his research into the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Kurtz wrote two books on Kennedy's assassination. Crime of the Century was published in 1982 by University of Tennessee Press[1][2] and The JFK Assassination Debate: Lone Gunman versus Conspiracy was published in 2006 by University Press of Kansas.[3] Ten years after its release, Crime of the Century was described as the only book on the assassination written by an academic historian.[4] Shortly before the release of his first book, Kurtz stated that he did not think there was enough evidence to show whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald was involved in the assassination, but that there was no question that there was a conspiracy".[1] Kurtz said Kennedy was killed by crossfire from three gunmen, that the Warren Commission's investigation of the assassination was incompetent, and that the Executive branch of the United States government and United States House of Representatives were responsible for suppressing evidence.[1][2] A review for Kurtz's second book on the assassination said he also accused the Warren Commission, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Kennedy family of covering up evidence.[5]

In 1995, Kurtz testified on the Kennedy assassination before the Assassination Records Review Board chaired by U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim.[6] By 2013, Kurtz was reported to have taught a class on the assassination for over 40 years.[7]

Kurtz published on other topics of American history, notably the career of Louisiana Governor Earl Kemp Long, co-authored with the late professor Morgan D. Peoples of Louisiana Tech University.[8]

Kurtz received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Orleans, a Master of Arts from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and a Ph.D. from Tulane University in New Orleans.[9] He died in Hammond on March 1, 2025.[10]

Authored works

Books

  • Crime of the Century: The Kennedy Assassination from a Historian's Perspective. University Press of Tennessee. 1982. ISBN 978-0870498244.
  • (with Morgan D. Peoples) Earl K. Long: The Saga of Uncle Earl and Louisiana Politics. Louisiana State University Press. 1990. ISBN 978-0807115770.
  • The JFK Assassination Debates: Lone Gunman versus Conspiracy. University Press of Kansas. 2006. ISBN 978-0700614745.

Papers

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Povich, Elaine S. (March 5, 1982). "After 15 years of research, a college history professor..." upi.com. UPI. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "A history professor who studied the Kennedy assassination for..." upi.com. UPI. March 27, 1982. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ "The JFK Assassination Debate: Lone Gunman versus Conspiracy". Publishers Weekly. September 4, 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  4. ↑ Giglio, James N. (April 1, 1992). "Oliver Stone's JFK in Historical Perspective". Perspectives on History. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ Publishers Weekly (September 4, 2006). "The JFK Assassination Debate: Lone Gunman versus Conspiracy". publishersweekly.com. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  6. ↑ United States Assassination Records Review Board (June 28, 1995). "Testimony of Michael Kurtz". Review Board's final report. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  7. ↑ Hanson, Blake (November 22, 2013). "50 years later, still questions on Oswald's New Orleans roots". wdsu.com. New Orleans.
  8. ↑ Kurtz, Michael L.; Peoples, Morgan Dewey (1992). Earl K. Long: The saga of Uncle Earl and Louisiana politics. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0-8071-1765-X.
  9. ↑ Southeastern Louisiana University (2010). General Catalogue 2010-2011 (PDF). p. 33. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
  10. ↑ "Dr. Michael Louis Kurtz". Harry McKneely & Son. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
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