1947 and 1948 Kemper Military School Yearbooks

Yearbook from Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri, 1947. 13" x 10" inches. Both are 114 pages. Many photographs inside of the students (also known as cadets), faculty, the grounds, athletics, ceremonies, and more. Clean inside; does not bear any inscriptions or signatures. 1948 edition comes with admissions application form. High quality black and white photographs depict the breadth of experiences to be had at Kemper. Includes the school catalog, which gives a history on the school, the school's purposes, which were summed up in mantras but later (truncated) explained at length, and course offerings. While it was a military school, Kemper did not skimp on its scholastic offerings, with a variety of classes that exceed the average contemporary high school. Kemper was among the "Honor Schools" that prepared students for appointment to prestigious military institutions such as West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Nevertheless, Kemper graduates were not expected to all become soldiers, rather the school stated that: "the primary aim is not the education of young men for a military career or to attract to the service, but to fit them to perform their duties as patriotic, intelligent, and efficient citizens, and in case of need, to answer their country's call with a knowledge of the fundamentals of military training and discipline." Includes a three panel foldout at the end of the yearbook with the entire graduating class and faculty. In 1947-8 Kemper was near its zenith, but today it is no more. The backlash against the military as a result of the Vietnam War coupled with the high inflation of the 1970s put the school on a downward trajectory. Kemper closed in 2002 after 158 years of existence. A very well arranged and photographed document from one the nation's premier military academies in the post-WWII era. In very good condition. (Inventory #: 17530)