John C. Kemmerer Papers 1961-1981

Identity elements

Reference code

US US-IaGG MS/MS 01.74

Name and location of repository

Level of description

Collection

Title

John C. Kemmerer Papers 1961-1981

Date(s)

Extent

1.00

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Charles Kemmerer was a poet and printer who worked in an engineering firm to support himself and his family. Born on a farm in Guthrie County, Iowa in 1901, he developed a devotion to writing poetry and to the art and craft of printing during his teenage years. He attended Grinnell College from 1919-1923, starting in the engineering course, but getting his degree in English and History. During his college years he worked at a Grinnell newspaper printing office, had poetry published in student publications, served on the staffs of the Malteaser and the 1923 Cyclone, and was the class poet.

After graduation he received his master’s degree from Harvard and during the rest of the 1920s studied at Columbia University and wrote short stories, plays, a novel, and poetry. In 1929 he married Ruth Chamberlain (class of 1922) and the following year began working for the firm of consulting engineers in New York City at which he was to spend his entire career. But it was poetry and printing that was most important in his life.

In the early 1930s he studied typography in night courses at New York University, built his own hand press, and began publishing his own books, the first in 1933 while at NYU. In 1950 he purchased a weather-beaten farmhouse in rural Connecticut and moved his presses there. From 1967-81 he published sixteen books of poetry in limited editions of less than one hundred copies, one autobiographical sketch, and had one book of poetry, Wild plum tree, published by Carroll Coleman at the Prairie Press in Iowa City.

The following selection from his, A biographical note, may best describe his life: "1972-73. By this winter his published work had received several hundred friendly responses; from veteran critics of the Twenties; from generations in theirprime; from pretty girls, and young men with beards. Thus in a Dark Age the poems, author, and printers had lively company. And the books were in greatlibraries in New York, Iowa, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut; and in the homes of collectors, whose books may go anywhere."

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

These papers include typed and handwritten manuscript copies of Kemmerer’s poems, stories, and reminiscences, most of which were unpublished.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

Physical access

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

Grinnell College holds copyright of Kemmerer’s published and unpublished works.

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

Language and script notes

Finding aids

Acquisition and appraisal elements

Custodial history

Transferred to Archives from William Deminoff’s office who had received them from the author’s estate.

Immediate source of acquisition

Bequest

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

Accruals

Related materials elements

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related archival materials

Correspondence with Librarian Henry Alden (RG-L, Ser. 1.1)

Related descriptions

Notes element

Specialized notes

Alternative identifier(s)

Description control element

Rules or conventions

Sources used

Access points

Subject access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related genres