Kemper Military School, Boonville,Missouri, Records, c. 1910-2001 (C4005)

225 linear feet, 1 videocassette

RESTRICTED

Kemper Brocure coverFounded in 1844, Kemper Military School in Boonville was once the oldest military school west of the Mississippi River. The last graduating class held its commencement ceremony in spring 2002, when the school closed because of financial difficulties. The State Historical Society of Missouri acquired over 100 linear feet of records that document the academy's rich history. The material was a gift from the City of Boonville, which purchased the campus and its contents after the school's closing, and the Friends of Kemper Foundation Trust, the designated successor to the school.

A motion presented at a Boonville City Council meeting in November 2005 stated, “The records have historical and personal value to the Kemper alumni, Boonville area residents and teachers.” Although the files were in good condition when we obtained them, they must be arranged for easier access, and some need basic conservation work. Anyone with an interest in Kemper, especially former students needing access to their files, will benefit by having the collection stored in a controlled environment where it will be preserved for future generations. The records will become a treasure trove for genealogists wanting to learn about ancestors who attended the historic school.

Access to student records is restricted due to privacy laws. Third party requests for student records will not be granted unless the student is deceased. Access to deceased student's records will be granted upon receipt of an obituary notice or death certificate. Student records shall not be accessible for 72 years from the date of creation, except for the following circumstances:

Students wanting a copy of their transcript must submit a hand-signed transcript request form.


INTRODUCTION

The papers of Kemper Military School, the oldest military school west of the Mississippi River, include student records and transcripts, applications, commencement material, diplomas, grade cards, and miscellaneous material.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Kemper Military School Records were donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by Danielle A. Blanck, Mayor of the city of Boonville, and Stephen Read, Trust Donor and Chairman, Friends of Kemper Foundation Trust, on 18 January 2006 (Accession No. 6100). An addition to the collection was made on 25 January 2006.

RESTRICTIONS

Consult the reference staff about the restriction on this collection.

INSTITUTIONAL SKETCH

Kemper Military School and College was founded as the Kemper Family School in 1844. It was the oldest military school west of the Mississippi. The school was founded by Frederick Thomas Kemper (1816-1881) as an all-male school to educate the sons of the early frontier families. From 1845 through 1856 it was known variously as the New Boonville Academy, the Boonville Boarding School and Teacher's Seminary, and the Male Collegiate Institute.

The school was temporarily closed in 1856 and reopened in 1861, allowing female students to attend. This was discontinued at the close of the Civil War. Around 1871, to differentiate Kemper students from the local population, Kemper placed his students in military uniform. Following his death, Colonel Thomas A. Johnston became President (1881-1928). Johnston added the military training program and structure and changed the school's name to Kemper Military School in 1899.

From the 1900s up to the 1950s, the school saw an increase in the growth of both its physical structure and student population. In addition, classes and programs were added and improved. Kemper Military School saw a marked decline in cadet enrollment beginning in the 1970s, which in turn created financial difficulties. In 2002, Kemper Military School closed its doors.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Kemper Military School Records are arranged into three series:

BOX LIST

Student Records Series

The Student Records series are arranged alphabetically by the student's last name, for the most part, although later boxes are not necessarily in alphabetical order. The records consist of applications, transcripts, grade reports, grade cards, disciplinary action reports, instructor comments, and in some cases, transcript request correspondence along with previous school records, medical reports, and test results.

This material will prove useful to researchers interested in studying grading systems of secondary schools. It will also be of interest to genealogists wanting to know about the educational history of a family member or relative. For example, many of the earlier student files contain detailed comments made by instructors regarding the student, some of which refer to observed personality traits.

Box 1Aagard-Ainsworth
Box 2Alford-Anderson
Box 3Anderson-Armstrong
Box 4Adams-Armstrong
Box 5Armstrong-Ayres
Box 6Missing Vault Records "B," Babb-Bishop
Box 7Balfanz-Barns
Box 8Barnes-Buell
Box 9Bateman-Berger
Box 10Babb-Robinson
Box 11Bennett-Byrd
Box 12Bewley-Bond
Box 13Blackman-Bovard
Box 14Bilpush-Brown
Box 15Bowen-Bryan
Box 16Brandt-Brooks
Box 17Boughton-Brun
Box 18Brune-Burnham
Box 19Burnham-Byus
Box 20Missing Vault Records "C," Ahmed-Curry
Box 21Campbell-Carson
Box 22Carstarphen-Chalmers
Box 23Chamberlain-Christian
Box 24Clarence-Clemons
Box 25Clevidence-Cook
Box 26Coachman-Cooper
Box 27Coldwell-Crews
Box 28Cotton-Crutcher
Box 29Cooper-Cummins
Box 30Cumpton-Daniel
Box 31Daniels-Dunn
Box 32Davis-Dewitt
Box 33Decke-Dies
Box 34Dickey-Dority
Box 35Dornblaser-Duffett
Box 36Babb-Evans
Box 37Eastlack-El Bayomi
Box 38Elam-English
Box 39English-Ezzell
Box 40Missing Vault Records, "F," Faaaoga-Ferer
Box 41Fergus-Fivian
Box 42Fisher-Frazier
Box 43Ford-Frey
Box 44Frasier-Gallagher
Box 45Gallaher-Gilmore
Box 46Gilreath-Goodman
Box 47Graham-Gregory
Box 48Gates-Griffeth
Box 49Gil-Goza
Box 50Grabenhofer-Gunvordahl
Box 51Gurley-Hanks
Box 52Gilden-Hayden
Box 53Harris-Hayes
Box 54Hartford-Hendrickson
Box 55Hebert-Herman
Box 56Groves-Hill
Box 57Hill-Holcomb
Box 58Hadi-Haller
Box 59Holcombe-Hopkins
Box 60Hopley-Hsu
Box 61Hubbard-Hunter
Box 62Hunter-Isgrig
Box 63Ismail-Jasmin
Box 64Folkerts-Johnson
Box 65Johnson-Jones
Box 66Jones-Jurnigan
Box 67Justice-Kennedy
Box 68Keil-Kidder
Box 69Darnell-Kohao
Box 70King-Kluth
Box 71Kmet-Kreitler
Box 72Krejci-La Tour
Box 73Lamie-Laughlin
Box 74Laughlin-LePage
Box 75Legg-Lindeman
Box 76Henry-Lovette
Box 77Long-Lundblade
Box 78Files Missing in the Mac's and Mc's-Lunsford-McClure
Box 79Malloy-Rayford
Box 80Marquez-Matthews
Box 81Masviroon-Mendez
Box 82McClure-McGee
Box 83McDonald-Wilson
Box 84de la Macorra-McWilliams
Box 85Mehaffey-Miller
Box 86Miller-Moczygemba
Box 87Modglin-Moore
Box 88Moore-Moynahan
Box 89Fisher-Myers
Box 90Myers-Nelson
Box 91Nelson-Norman
Box 92Files Missing in "Os," Norman-O'Rourke
Box 93Nystrom-Otto
Box 94Otwell-Parkinson
Box 95Parks-Pendergist
Box 96Patterson-Peterson
Box 97Peterson-Pinotti
Box 98Pinson-Powders
Box 99Powell-Putnam
Box 100Puthenpurakal-Rapelye
Box 101Raiton-Reiser
Box 102Reimer-Richards
Box 103Richards-Ritz
Box 104Ritz, R.-Rocoberto
Box 105Puent-Rosenow
Box 106Rosenthal-Rushing
Box 107Russell-Sanders
Box 108Sanders, G.-Schembs
Box 109Schenck-Schultz
Box 110Schulz, D.-Shwartz
Box 111Seelye-Sheckels
Box 112Shed-Simmons
Box 113Simmons, B.-Smart
Box 114Smauder-Smith, R.H.
Box 115Smith, R.M.-Speer
Box 116Black-Stout
Box 117Speer-Stavis
Box 118Sriratanavudhi-Stump
Box 119Strong-Switzer, R.
Box 120Switzer, W.-Tayrien
Box 121Teagle-Thompson
Box 122Thomas-Tomlinson
Box 123Ostlund-Tucker
Box 124Tuer-Uzcategui Ovalles
Box 125File Folders Missing From "V's"-Vacha-Vernon
Box 126Verplank-Waggoner
Box 127Wagher-Walter
Box 128Walters-Waugh
Box 129Way-Weltz
Box 130Wenban-White, J.R.
Box 131White, J.W.-Wiley
Box 132Wilburn-Williams
Box 133Williamson-Wise, J.R.
Box 134Wise,W.A.-Wootten, H.H.
Box 135Wootten, J.B.-Yoder, F.D.
Box 136Yoder, H.R.-Zytkowicz
Box 137Student Applications/School Literature- Abdelfattah-Wynkoop
Box 138Student Applications- Belshe-Zimmermann
Box 139Student Applications- Advincula-Jones
Box 140Student Applications- Barnes-Youssef
Box 141Akana-Winfield
Box 142Amaya-Winne
Box 143Student Applications- AbdelRehim-Zafiropoulos
Box 144Banks-Rilling
Box 145Acosta-Zimmerman, N.
Box 146Opeka-Byford-Zelaya
Box 147Alaita-Williams, S.
Box 148Student Applications- Abed-Zamor
Box 149Student Applications- Adegbile-Zornada
Box 150Student Applications- Albert-Yarnell, C.
Box 151Grade Books, Spring 2000-2001-Student Files, Ball-Zamor
Box 152Student Applications- Jones-Sallo
Box 153Student Applications/Files- Fayed-Zachary
Box 154Student Applications/Files- AbdElnaz-Oda
Box 155Crouch-Kuhnke
Box 156Student Applications/Files- Dall-Yorman

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Commencement Material Series

The Commencement Material series consists of programs, graduate and honor lists, class officers, academic, athletic, and military achievements. Also included in this series are student diplomas which were never issued. The series is fairly well dated, though many of the files are not in chronological order.

Box 157Commencement Material, 1978-1992
Box 158Commencement Material, 1923-1977, Kemperite newsletter, Winter, 2001, School Advertisements, Kemper Military School videocassette, "A Disciplined Approach to Learning and Life"
Box 159Diplomas- Ash, Matthew W.-Vanzant, Patrick Lorenzo, 1962-1998
Box 160Diplomas- Bowers, Guierrica T.-Small, Sidney Erroll, 1986-1999
Box 161Diplomas- Aders, Corey A.-Turner, Andrew L., 1986-1998

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Miscellaneous Material Series

The Miscellaneous Material series consists of dance cards for the annual military ball, school and course brochures, school advertisements, and a copy of the Kemperite, Kemper's alumni magazine, Winter, 2001. Also included is a copy of the Kemper Literary Review, which was created by Kemper students, and a copy of the Ceremony of the Standard of Honor.

There is some correspondence from 1992 from Jim Gatewood, Director of Development and Public Affairs, to Walter Bixby of the J.B. Reynolds Foundation, regarding a request for funds to pay for a computer system that would track student records and perform other computer needs in the Registrar's Office, and letters to and from Susan Moellinger, Registrar, regarding course descriptions for transfer to different schools and programs.

Also included are forms for submitting names for diplomas, along with some actual diplomas, student application files, and grade cards, listing name of cadet, year, age, class, date entered, previous school attended, subjects listed, semester taken, grade, semester average, and units/hours earned. The grade cards for those students who dropped out are also included, giving the date the student dropped out. On some cards, grade point averages are shown. Up until 1962 cards also list one of the parents and the address of the previous school attended. The grade cards are dated from 1957 to 1990.

Box 162Grade Cards- 1957-1958, A-Z; 1958-1959, A-R; 1989-1990, A-Z; 1990, A-W
Box 163Student Applications- Lertwatanasivalee, Pisan-Williams, Matthew
Box 164Student Applications- Copeland, Earnest-Galdeano, Philip
Box 165Grade Cards- 1958-1959, S-Z; 1975-1976, A-Z; 1976-1977, A-Z; 1977-1978, A-L; 1985-1986, A-Z; 1986-1987, A-Z
Box 166Student Applications- Lauth, John-McCormick, Theodor
Box 167Student Applications- Stanley, Todd-Varner, Jason
Box 168Student Applications- AbedShafei, Mahmed-Moore, Jeffery
Box 169Student Applications- Acevedo, Andres-Reynolds, James
Box 170Student Applications- AbdelGawad, Ahmed-Zahn, Heather
Box 171Student Applications- Bailey, Dwayne-Vargas, Jasmira
Box 172Grade Cards- 1971-1972, A-H, J-Z; 1972-1973, A-Z; 1973-1974, A-H, J-Y; 1974, A-W; 1974-1975, A-H, J-W; 1975, A-F; 1977-1978, M-Y; 1978-1979, A-Y
Box 173Grade Cards- 1967-1968, A-V; 1979-1980, A-Y; 1980-1981, A-Y; 1981-1982, A-Y
Box 174Grade Cards- 1966, A-Z; 1967, A-T; 1966-1967, U-Z
Box 175Grade Cards- 1982, A-Y; 1983, A-Y; 1984, A-Z
Box 176Grade Cards- 1955, A-Z; 1956, A-Z, 1959, A-R
Box 177Grade Cards- 1959, S-Z; 1960, A-Z; 1961, A-H, J-Z; 1962, A-H
Box 178Grade Cards- 1962, J-Z; 1963, A-H, L-T, V-Z; 1964, A-H, J-S
Box 179Grade Cards- 1964, S-Z; 1968-1969, T-Z; 1970, A-Z; 1971, A-Z; 1987, A, C-E, H-N
Box 180Grade Cards- 1967-1968, W; 1968-1969, A-S; 1987, O-Z, 1988, A-Z; 1988 Summer, B-W; 1989 Summer, B-Z

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INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at The State Historical Society of Missouri-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff

Subject

Folders
Education, SecondaryBox 1-180
Grading and marking (Students)Box 151, 162, 165, 172-180
Kemper Military School, Boonville, Missouriv.t. 1 (pictorial material)
Kemper Military School, Boonville, MissouriBox 1-180
Military educationv.t. 1 (pictorial material)
Military educationBox 1-180
Studentsv.t. 1 (pictorial material)