James F. Hitchcock, Ph.D., professor emeritus of history, died Monday, July 14, 2025. He was 87. Hitchcock authored several books on the history of the Catholic Church.

Hitchcock began teaching at Saint Louis University in 1966 and remained at the University until his retirement in 2013. He was a prolific author, with 12 books to his name, including The Supreme Court and Religion in American Life and History of the Catholic Church: From the Apostolic Age to the Third Millennium.

“Jim was not only a towering figure in the field of church history, but his many articles and syndicated columns were a fixture in Catholic magazines and newspapers for decades,”  said Thomas Madden, Ph.D., professor of history and director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. “He was one of the few geniuses I have ever met.” 

Hitchcock was born in St. Louis on February 13, 1938, to George and Stella (Martin) Hitchcock. He was raised in North St. Louis and attended Nativity Parish. He graduated from St. Louis University High School in 1956 and Saint Louis University in 1960 with a degree in philosophy and a minor in history. He received his master’s (1962) and doctoral degrees (1965) in history from Princeton University.

His dissertation was titled "Popular Religion in Elizabethan England." 

He met Helen Hull in New York, where he was teaching at St. John’s University in 1966. After a whirlwind courtship, they were married at the Old Cathedral in St. Louis in November of that year, when he began his time teaching at SLU.

In addition to his academic work, Hitchcock worked as a summer reporter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat from 1960-63. 

Hitchcock's wife, Helen (Hull) Hitchcock, died in 2014. He is survived by his daughters Alexandra Kassing (Don) of Summerville, SC; Consuelo Hitchcock of Washington, DC; Hilary Hitchcock of St. Louis; and Louisa Spampinato (Robert) of Brooklyn, NY; and six grandchildren. 

A funeral Mass was celebrated on Tuesday, July 22, at St. Roch Catholic Church.