We are saddened by the loss of emeritus professor Richard S. Kirkendall, a historian of modern U.S. history, who died on August 26, 2024.
Kirkendall was born on April 11, 1928, in Spokane, Washington. After graduating from Spokane’s North Central High School, he studied at nearby Gonzaga University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1950.
Following graduation, Kirkendall served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War before moving on to the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1958 under the direction of Merle Curti.
He began his teaching career at Wesleyan University. After three years at Wesleyan, Kirkendall joined the faculty at the University of Missouri, where he spent fifteen years, three as chair of the history department. He spent eight years at Indiana University and seven at Iowa State University as Henry A. Wallace Professor of History before arriving at the University of Washington in 1988 as the newly appointed Bullitt Chair of American History, where he was described as “one of the nation’s top authorities on the New Deal and post World War II politics.” Kirkendall was thrilled to join the department, stating, “Since I was a boy in Spokane, I have admired the University of Washington, but I never dreamed I would become a member of its faculty, and I certainly did not imagine I would occupy one of its special chairs.”
Among his many books are the following: Social Scientists and Farm Politics in the Age of Roosevelt (1966, which was based on his doctoral dissertation); The Truman Period as a Research Field (1967); The New Deal: The Historical Debate (1973); The Global Power: The United States Since 1941 (1974); The United States, 1929-1945: Years of Crisis and Change (1974); The American Republic (1978, with John A. Schutz); Global Power: The United States Since the Age of Roosevelt (1980); A History of Missouri, 1919-1953 (1986); The Truman Encyclopedia (1989); Uncle Henry: A Documentary Profile of the First Henry Wallace (1993, editor); Harry’s Farewell: Interpreting and Teaching the Truman Presidency (2004, editor); The Writing and Teaching of American History (2011, editor); and Civil Liberties and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman (2013, editor). He also published numerous articles, book chapters, and reviews.
Throughout his career, he directed numerous dissertations, and many of his students went on to be leaders in the field. His generosity, expertise, enthusiasm, and kindness made him ideally suited to mentor students and colleagues.
Kirkendall served as the executive secretary of the Organization of American Historians from 1973 to 1981, and he spent many years on the executive board for the Truman Library. In 1989, he received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Gonzaga University.
In addition to his academic pursuits, Kirkendall was an avid baseball fan who loved the Seattle Mariners and always had his scorecard in hand. During retirement, he enjoyed traveling and cheering on the Gonzaga basketball team.
We invite you to share your remembrance of Richard Kirkendall, which we will post below.