Signature: J. Gerald “Jerry” Kennedy

From the streets of Paris to the classrooms of LSU’s Allen Hall, few professors have unlocked the literary world for students quite like J. Gerald “Jerry” Kennedy.

Founder of the LSU in Paris program, a prolific scholar and one of 11 active LSU Boyd professors, Kennedy has brought some of the world’s greatest writers, including Ernest Hemingway and Edgar Allen Poe, to life for countless young men and women. He recently founded the Literary Circle of LSU to bridge the Department of English and the Baton Rouge community, with lectures featuring nationally known scholars speaking to sell-out crowds.

“The Literary Circle of LSU solidifies the bond of appreciation for great literature,” says Kennedy. “We all love great stories told well.”

Kennedy received a Ph.D. from Duke University in 1973, the same year he took a position as a professor of English at LSU. He rose to become an internationally acclaimed scholar of American literature, publishing extensively on Poe, Hemingway, American expatriate writing and other topics. An author or editor of 15 books, Kennedy has also served as a commentator in documentaries on Poe, Hemingway’s years in Cuba, and the 1920s Paris literary scene.

In 1981, Kennedy founded the LSU in Paris program, turning the City of Light into a classroom for area students. Strolling along French streets and famous boulevards with Kennedy, LSU students have seen first-hand where American writers living abroad worked, dined and drank. The program thrives today, and while Kennedy is no longer its director, he is still part of its faculty.

“Spending a month in Paris concentrates and intensifies the learning process,” says Kennedy. “Novels set in Paris suddenly open up a wealth of implication, and you grow into a new relationship with this amazing city.”

His international reputation notwithstanding, Kennedy remains an old-fashioned scholar, committed to teaching young people.

“He’s incredibly well-known in his field,” says Ubaye Valley Professor of French Kevin Bongiorni, who now directs the LSU in Paris program, “but Jerry is the kind of professor who is accessible and there for students.”

Age: 67
Occupation: LSU Boyd professor
Hometown: Corry, Pennsylvania