Jean Schmidt Kiesel received her BA in History at Macalester College in 1973 and her MA in Librarianship from the University of Denver in 1974. She went on to receive her MA in History from Montana State University. Her thesis was titled: “Copper Kings, Populists and Log-rollers: The 1893 Session of the Montana State Legislature.” She worked in Minnesota and Montana before coming to the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in 1985. She was the Reference Archivist (formerly Louisiana Room Librarian) at Edith Garland Dupré Library.

She retired in June 2017 after 32 years at the University. During her tenure, in addition to working in the Louisiana Room (now Special Collections), she wrote many book reviews, published and edited newsletters, gave many presentations at conferences, and wrote numerous grants. She also published two publications in the “Images of America” series from Arcadia Publishing.

She was a member of the American Library Association, Society of American Archivists, Society of Southwest Archivists, Louisiana Library Association, Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association, Louisiana Historical Association, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.