William E. Kemp

William Ewing Kemp (February 8, 1889 – July 29, 1968) was the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 1946 to 1955.

Biography[]

Kemp was born on February 8, 1889 in La Monte, Missouri and received his undergraduate degree from Central Missouri State University. He was a law graduate of Washington University in St. Louis in 1917 and a veteran of World War I.

In 1940, Kemp was appointed by mayor Joe Gage to be city counsel and prosecuted several city employees in the fall of the Thomas Pendergast machine. He was elected to a two-year term in 1946, re-elected to a three-year term in 1949 and then again re-elected to a four-year term in 1952.

During his tenure the Chouteau Bridge and Paseo Bridge were built across the Missouri River and the Starlight Theatre opened.

References[]

• Kansas City Public Library biography^{[dead link]}
• Official Manual of Missouri 1939-1940 (reprinted on rootsweb)^{[dead link]}