Frederick T. Kemper (1816 – March 9, 1881) was the founder of the school that later became

Kemper Military School Kemper Military School & College was a private military school located in Boonville, Missouri. Founded in 1844, Kemper filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2002. The school's motto was "Nunquam Non Paratus" (Never Not Prepared). The 46-acre camp ...

in Boonville, Missouri.

Early life

Frederick T. Kemper was born in

Madison County, Virginia Madison County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,837. Its county seat is Madison. History Madison County was established in December 1792, created from Culpeper County. The c ...

, in 1816. His brother was General James L. Kemper, who gained fame at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

, and later became

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

. Kemper's early academic experiences were through private tutors and small schools in the Tidewater area of Virginia. He left the family farm in 1836 to complete his education at Marion College, near

Palmyra, Missouri Palmyra is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,595 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Palmyra was platted in 1819, and named after P ...

. He studied there for five years and graduated

valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution. The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...

in the class of 1841.

Career

After graduating, Kemper remained at Marion for three years as an instructor. In 1843 he opened a private boarding school with his uncle in Philadelphia, Missouri. Residents of Boonville then induced Kemper to open a school there in the spring of 1844. In June 1844, he opened up "Boonville Male Boarding School". He operated the school by himself as a local school for boys, and regularly changed the school's name. From 1845 through 1856 it was referred to variously as the "New Boonville Academy", the "Boonville Boarding School and Teachers Seminary", "Male Collegiate Institute", and "Kemper Family School". In 1856, the school was temporarily closed when Kemper accepted a teaching and administrative position at the newly established Westminster College in

Fulton, Missouri Fulton is the largest city in and the county seat of Callaway County, Missouri, United States. Located about northeast of Jefferson City and the Missouri River and east of Columbia, the city is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri, Metropolita ...

. However, in 1861 he returned to Boonville and reopened the school in partnership with his wife's brother, Edwin H. Taylor. The school was then called the "Kemper and Taylor Institute." Kemper kept a guarded neutrality and the schools was one of few in the state to remain open during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. After the war, Kemper and his wife Susan regained sole management of Kemper Family School until his death in 1881. In 1885, Kemper's successor, Thomas A. Johnston, added a formal military training program, and in 1899, the name of the school officially changed to

. The school continued to operate until 2002, when it shut its doors.

Personal life

Kemper was an elder at the Presbyterian Church. Kemper died of pneumonia on March 9, 1881, at his home in Boonville. He was buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery.

References

* Life of Frederick T. Kemper. By James A. Quarles, 1882.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kemper, Frederick T. 1816 births 1881 deaths People from Madison County, Virginia People from Cooper County, Missouri People from Marion County, Missouri Westminster College (Missouri) faculty Heads of universities and colleges in the United States American people of German descent Deaths from pneumonia in Missouri