Mourning Dr. Richard Cusimano

The Department of History, Geography, and Philosophy is saddened to report that our former colleague and friend, Dr. Richard Cusimano, professor emeritus, passed away on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.

Dr. Cusimano was a rarity: a top-notch scholar, a brilliant administrator, and a genuinely kind and generous human being. The following is from his online obituary.

"Dr. Cusimano was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 17, 1939. A graduate of Jesuit High School, he went on to earn his Masters at St. Louis University, and his Ph.D. at the University of Georgia in European history with a focus on medieval and Renaissance history. He joined the USL History Department in 1970.

"Dr. Cusimano gained a reputation over his 34-year tenure at UL Lafayette as a thought-provoking and dynamic history professor, head of the History and Geography Department, and dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences. “All of his classes fill to capacity as students clamor to secure a seat,” Dr. Robert Carriker wrote when Dr. Cusimano was honored as a Distinguished Professor in 2004. His former students are found far and wide and recall his inspiring classes fondly even after many years. His translations of medieval Latin texts have earned wide recognition, and have been used in many university courses around the country for their vivid depictions of social, political, religious, and daily life during that period."