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We sadly have to report the death in Washington, D.C., on January 24, 2008, of Stephen G. Kurtz, distinguished historian and educator, who served as the fourth director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture. We wish, too, to recognize his contributions to its work, which, despite his relatively brief tenure, were significant.

He joined the Institute, initially as editor of publications, at a time when the Institute was experiencing a major transition in both personnel and scholarly programs, although not as a consequence of any immediate crisis or desire to effect reorganization. In the course of three years, however, beginning in 1966—the year in which Steve arrived—all four senior staff positions received new appointees, although in several instances existing staff members were advanced to new positions, allowing for a greater degree of continuity. At the same time the Institute undertook development of two demanding new scholarly projects. One was the preparation of a new atlas of early American history, a joint effort of the Institute and the Newberry Library. The second was the preparation of a multivolume edition of the legal papers of Chief Justice John Marshall, which necessitated the creating of new staff positions.

Steve figured prominently in the process by which the transformation was accomplished. In the first instance, he arrived in 1966 as the successor to James Morton Smith as editor of publications. Like his predecessor Steve had concentrated his graduate study and subsequent scholarship on the early national period of American history. After graduation from Princeton University, he earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania, whose press published in 1957 a revision of his dissertation, The Presidency of John Adams: The Collapse of Federalism, 1795–1800, which became a well-regarded work in its field. Steve taught briefly at Athens College in Greece and for a number of years at Wabash College, for which he always held a high regard.

Steve settled into his editorial responsibilities at the Institute, but within three years—in 1969—Lester Cappon, the longtime director of the Institute, decided to retire in order to devote full time to editing the new atlas from its headquarters at the Newberry Library. Steve then received an appointment as the new director. He had already developed a strong interest in the proposed edition of the John Marshall papers. From 1966 to 1971 he served as one of its early editors until recognizing that the directorship did not afford him sufficient time to give adequate attention to the project. His contributions to the planning and launching of the edition had, however, been significant.

As director, Steve, in fact, took a deep interest in all aspects of the editorial work of the Institute—books, the William and Mary Quarterly, as well as the Marshall Papers. He held the editors to high standards, as I can attest from personal experience.

We are familiar today with the efforts of the Institute to raise additional funds beyond the continuing support of its sponsors in order to carry out a larger program. It is sometimes forgotten that Steve was among the first to realize that an expanding program would require such an effort. Before he could initiate any action, however, he resigned in 1972 to accept a position on the faculty of Hamilton College, remaining there briefly until he accepted an appointment as principal of Phillips Exeter Academy in 1974. There he continued until his retirement in 1987.

While I never had an occasion to discuss his decision with him at any length, one could sense that he clearly welcomed a return to work in undergraduate and secondary education of a high quality, as his past experience at Athens and at Wabash College and his own secondary education might suggest.

Institute directors traditionally taught at least one course yearly at the College of William and Mary, but the demands of serving as director probably did not afford him as much time with students as he might have wished. I have met former students, however, who remember his courses very favorably.

Certainly his successful record at Phillips Exeter—and the extent to which in retirement he remained in demand as a consultant and adviser to private schools—suggest that he had found the educational mission that held the strongest appeal for him.

Steve did not often return to Williamsburg, although he retained a circle of Williamsburg friends who like him had summer homes at Pemaquid Point, Maine, and from them I would to some extent keep up with news about him. Within the past year, however, he made a rare return trip to Williamsburg. We had a good visit and talked at some length about the old days in Williamsburg. He also made a point of stopping by the Institute offices to talk with current staff members. In a certain sense it seemed to me that he had reestablished a link with the Institute that he had once served so well.

Thad W. Tate
Institute Director Emeritus