The John Kemper Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of personal material, correspondence, programs, magazine covers, promotional materials and pamphlets, posters, sketches, scrapbooks, awards, news clippings, bulletins, calendars, reports and photographs. The date range of the material is from the 1940s to the early 2000s.
The contents of the collection are the works of John Kemper for various departments over the years of his employment at Western Michigan University.
Dates
- Creation: 1943-2005
Creator
- Kemper, John Garner (Person)
Biographical / Historical
John Garner Kemper was an artist, educator, and designer known for his contributions to fine arts, graphic design, and institutional branding. He earned a B.F.A. from Ohio State University in 1931 and pursued graduate studies at Columbia University, receiving a Master of Arts in 1942. Kemper was a faculty member at Western Michigan University and served as a graphic designer for the unversity from 1942-1970. A core designer of WMU's visual materials, he played a significant role in advertising art and was responsible for designing the official university seal in 1957. His artwork was exhibited at local institutions such as the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and the Grand Rapids Art Gallery, earning multiple awards for organizations like Bergdorf Goodman. Recognized in several "Who's Who" publications, Kemper left a lasting legacy in both academia and the art world.
Full Extent
11 boxes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection is composed of art works that John Kemper rendered for Western Michigan University from 1943-1977. This collection was initially cataloged as A-1793 in the Regional History Collections. It was then re-boxed, re-barcoded and transferred to University Archives.
Physical Description
The documents are in fair condition with some signs of aging.
- Title
- The John Kemper Collection Finding Aid
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Hope Donovan, John Winchell, Mallory Heslinger
- Date
- 2025-03-03
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
arch-collect@wmich.edu