JAMES L. KEMPER, LCDR, USN

James Kemper '32

Date of birth: April 16, 1909

Date of death: November 13, 1942

Age: 33

Lucky Bag

From the 1932 Lucky Bag:

JAMES LAWSON KEMPER

El Monte, California

"James Lawson" "Kemper" "Jim"

It was four long years ago that Jim left the sunny shores of California to come East and brighten Bancroft Hall with his smile and never-failing source of goodnature. After piloting a broken-down motor boat in California waters, he decided to give Uncle Sam the benefit of his experience by joining the Navy and convincing the powers that BE that he, too, was capable of commanding.

Although not athletically inclined, as a youngster, he won his numerals in Navy's far-famed "Suicide Club," with the result of much publicity both here and at home. While not a regular attendant at the hops, he is famed locally for the quality of bricks that he is frequently seen with, although on some occasions one must admit that he was not responsible. This has resulted in making him somewhat pessimistic, when asked to drag for anyone. Thus has James Lawson brought no little sunshine into our midst, and, here's wishing him all of the luck in the world.

Water Polo, W32P; Class Water Polo; 2 P.O.

JAMES LAWSON KEMPER

El Monte, California

"James Lawson" "Kemper" "Jim"

It was four long years ago that Jim left the sunny shores of California to come East and brighten Bancroft Hall with his smile and never-failing source of goodnature. After piloting a broken-down motor boat in California waters, he decided to give Uncle Sam the benefit of his experience by joining the Navy and convincing the powers that BE that he, too, was capable of commanding.

Although not athletically inclined, as a youngster, he won his numerals in Navy's far-famed "Suicide Club," with the result of much publicity both here and at home. While not a regular attendant at the hops, he is famed locally for the quality of bricks that he is frequently seen with, although on some occasions one must admit that he was not responsible. This has resulted in making him somewhat pessimistic, when asked to drag for anyone. Thus has James Lawson brought no little sunshine into our midst, and, here's wishing him all of the luck in the world.

Water Polo, W32P; Class Water Polo; 2 P.O.

Loss

James was lost when USS Monssen (DD 436) was sunk on November 13, 1942 at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. He was the ship's executive officer.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

James graduated from Polytechnical High School, Los Angeles, Class of 1926. Cherry is his smile, and gracious his way, Faithful heart and honest mind always pay. Treasurer Ionian Society. President Electrical Engineering Society. Mechanical Engineering Society. In “Ads:” WANTED – Salesman to sell my freckle remover. See James Kemper. (Telephone 000-001.)
After passing a civil service examination in Los Angeles on May 12, 1928, James was appointed to the Naval Academy by Representative Evans of Glendale.

James appears to have been "III," though unable to find contemporary record of this. His son was IV, and his grandson was V. He was grandson of this Confederate Major General and governor of Virginia. His uncle was James Jr. (born 1865); his father was named Heber.

In the 1910 and 1920 censuses James was living in Los Angeles with his father, mother (Lucile), and older siblings John, Virginia, and Allison.

His wife was listed as next of kin. He was also survived by a son.

James is remembered at the Courts of the Missing in Hawaii.

Photographs

From his high school yearbook

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.