Quick Facts
Biography
Rufus Crosby Kemper III was the Director of the Kansas City Public Library, a position he held from 2005 until 2020.Prior to his position at KCPL, he held a range of positions, including CEO/ Chairman, at UMB Financial Corporation
During his tenure at KCPL, the library received the 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, an award given to American libraries and museums with outstanding service to their communities.
Kemper is the son of R. Crosby Kemper, Jr and Cynthia Warrick Kemper. Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Kemper attended Andover, Eton College and Yale University.
In 2005, Kemper co-founded the Show-Me Institute with Rex Sinquefield. He chaired the Missouri Commission on the Future of Higher Education and additionally served on boards, including that of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, , the Kansas City Symphony, and the Black Archives of Mid-America.
In November 2019, Kemper was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal support for US libraries and museums. The nomination has been supported by the American Library Association.
He was voted into the position for a term of 4 years by the US Senate on January 9, 2020.