A former chair of the history department, Kirkland’s special interests were European and intellectual history. He also taught interdepartmental courses, particularly in political science, and read manuscripts for the Bucknell University Press as a member of its editorial board.

An insatiable learner, he built a significant and wide-ranging library covering intellectual, cultural and political history; philosophy from the Greeks to the present; critical and literary theory; and poetry. A master teacher, he was able to connect with each student generation and spent as much time with students advising independent studies and honors theses as he did in the formal classroom.

“John taught courses that were intellectually challenging and often life-changing for his students,” says Professor Ann Tlusty P’06, history. “Many of them viewed him as a key mentor and chose careers and other life paths that were influenced by the lessons learned in his classroom.” Among those who credit Kirkland with helping them chart their course is noted author and historian David Nasaw ’67.

Former student and colleague Erica Delsandro ’02, M’05 noted that “I always joked that my history B.A. was a Professor Kirkland degree. I think I took every class that he offered. His impact continues to influence my work today as a
teacher and scholar at Bucknell.”

Among his survivors are his wife, Sara; daughter, Kimberly; and grandsons Evan and Liam.

Raised in Atlanta, Schwartz earned a bachelor’s in applied physics from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1983 and was an optical engineer in the defense field in his early career. He returned to his alma mater for a master’s in management in 1990, then earned a Ph.D. with a focus on finance at the University of Georgia in 1995.

Schwartz said in an interview with Bucknell’s Division of Communications that a love of teaching and mentorship inspired him to pursue a career in education. “I picked the career I would’ve chosen if I’d won the lottery, and I’ve never regretted it,” he said. “I don’t consider teaching work. There’s nothing else I would want to do.”

He began his academic career at the University of Miami, then taught at the University of Mississippi and at Washington and Lee University. He joined Bucknell in 2018 as the inaugural Holmes Professor and was co-director of the University’s Student Managed Investment Fund.

Schwartz was an expert in financial derivatives modeling and consistently published in academic journals throughout his career. His varied research also focused on option pricing and finance pedagogy. A chartered financial analyst, he authored derivatives readings for the CFA curriculum used to prepare candidates for the CFA exam, many of his Bucknell students among them.

Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth P’24, and son, Robert ’24.