Faculty

Stephen Guild Kurtz

Stephen Guild Kurtz, dean of the Faculty from 1972 to 1974, died on January 24, 2008, of pancreatic cancer, in Washington, DC, at the age of 81. He succeeded Winton Tolles '28 as dean, and left two years later to become principal of Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

Stephen Kurtz, a native of Buffalo, NY, who was graduated from Princeton University and received his doctorate in history in 1952 from the University of Pennsylvania, gained recognition for his scholarly work on early American history, especially the Revolutionary War era. He was a professor and dean at Wabash College in Indiana from 1956 to 1966, and taught at the College of William and Mary before coming to Hamilton.

Principal of Phillips Exeter during its early years of coeducation, Dr. Kurtz supported the faculty in its development of a new curriculum, promoted the recruitment of minority students, and spearheaded fund-raising that put the venerable school on a firm financial footing. He remained at Phillips Exeter until 1987 and later taught for several years at American University.

Stephen G. Kurtz, whose marriage to Katherine Godolphin had ended in divorce, is survived by a daughter, Sharon Thompson, and two sons, Thomas P. and Stephen Godolphin Kurtz.