David Kurtzman

American politician (1904–1977)

David Kurtzman

Kurtzman

14th Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh
In office
January 26, 1966 – June 1, 1967
Preceded by| Stanton Crawford
Succeeded by| Wesley Posvar
Secretary of Education of Pennsylvania
In office
June 1967 – 1971[1]
Governor| Raymond P. Shafer
Milton Shapp
Preceded by| J. Ralph Rackley
Succeeded by| John Pittenger
Personal details
Born| (1904-01-11)January 11, 1904 [which calendar?]
Odessa, Imperial Russia (now Odesa, Ukraine)
Died| February 22, 1977(1977-02-22) (aged 74)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education| Temple University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (MA, PhD)

David Harold Kurtzman (January 11, 1904 – February 22, 1977) was the fourteenth chancellor (1966–1967) of the University of Pittsburgh, and the last Superintendent of Public Instruction and first Secretary of Education (1967–1971) of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

## Biography

[edit]

Kurtzman became the University of Pittsburgh's vice chancellor for finance in July 1965, "at the height of a financial crisis at the University."[2]

He was appointed acting chancellor after Stanton Crawford's sudden death of a heart attack seven months later, on January 26, 1966. Kurtzman's administration negotiated the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's bailout of the university, through which the university became a state-related institution on August 23, 1966.

According to his obituary, ten years later, as the university continued its search for a permanent chancellor after the bailout, "trustees were heard to say 'If Dave Kurtzman were 10 years younger, we might not be looking.' Then 63, Dr. Kurtzman was two years short of the mandatory retirement age."[1]

On January 13, 1967, the Board of Trustees announced its selection of Wesley Posvar as its new Chancellor, effective June 1, and promoted Kurtzman to the full rank of chancellor until then, and chancellor emeritus afterward.

A ballroom in the university's William Pitt Union was named in his honor.

Kurtzman was born near Odessa, Ukraine, in then-czarist Russia, eventually immigrating to the United States in 1921. Although he did not start high school until the age of nineteen, he finished in under two years, and subsequently earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from Temple University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in political science at the University of Pennsylvania.[1][3]

He worked for many years at the Pennsylvania Economy League. There, he served as a key aide to David L. Lawrence, mayor of Pittsburgh, and Richard King Mellon, financier, in their effort to build the city's first renaissance after World War II.

Kurtzman joined the newly elected Governor Lawrence in 1959 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania as his secretary of administration.[3]

After his time at Pitt, Kurtzman returned to Harrisburg in 1967 as State Superintendent of Public Instruction (later Secretary of Education) under Governors Raymond P. Shafer and Milton Shapp;[1] in this role he became the named respondent in the landmark US Supreme Court decision Lemon v. Kurtzman.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Dr. Kurtzman, Ex-Chancellor at Pitt, Dies". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. February 23, 1977. pp. 1, 14. Retrieved March 28, 2020 – via Google News Archive.
2. ^ "Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, David H. Kurtzman (Acting), Administrative Files". University Archives & Special Collections. University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. 1966–1967. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
3. ^ a b "Ex-Education Aide Dies". The Sentinel. Carlisle, PA. February 23, 1977. p. 2. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

* Alberts, Robert C. (1987). Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787-1987. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 0-8229-1150-7.

Academic offices

Preceded by

Stanton Crawford

| 14th University of Pittsburgh Chancellor
1966–1967  | Succeeded by

Wesley Posvar

Government offices
Unknown |  Pennsylvania Secretary of Administration
1959–1963  | Unknown
Preceded by

J. Ralph Rackley

as Superintendent of Public Instruction  |  Pennsylvania Secretary of Education
1967–1971  | Succeeded by

John Pittenger

* v
* t
* e

Leaders of the University of Pittsburgh

Founder|

Brackenridge (1787)

Principals|

* Welch (1789)
* Andrews (1796–1800)
* Steele (1800–1801)
* Taylor (1801)
* Hopkins (1803–1804)
* Mountain (1804–1807)
* Patterson (1807–1810)
* Stockton (1810–1820)

Chancellors|

* Bruce (1820–1835) (1836–1843)
* Morgan (1835–1836)
* Dyer (1843–1849)
* Riddle # (1849–1855)
* McLaren (1855–1858)
* Woods (1858–1880)
* Goff # (1880–1881)
* Henry MacCracken (1881–1884)
* Goff (1884–1890)
* Holland (1891–1901)
* Brashear # (1901–1904)
* McCormick (1904–1921)
* Bowman (1921–1945)
* Fitzgerald (1945–1955)
* Nutting # (1955–1956)
* Litchfield (1956–1965)
* Crawford (1965–1966)
* Kurtzman (1966–1967)
* Posvar (1967–1991)
* O'Connor (1991–1995)
* Nordenberg (1995–2014)
* Gallagher (2014–2023)
* Gabel (2023- )

# denotes an interim chancellor
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