KIRK FAMILY PAPERS
Ms Collection K3
When Mrs John R Kirk turned her husband’s papers over to the College Archives
shortly after his death, she included some family photos and documents among the
professional documents. This collection, primarily photographs and the
Kirk children’s diplomas, was given to the University to supplement those
personal items in the Kirk Presidential Papers. The majority of items were the gift of the
Kirks’ grandson, John R Kirk Jr, in 1998. Subsequent donations occurred in 2012.
John Robert Kirk
(1851-1937), the son of George W & Mary Jane (Reid) Kirk, was President
of the First District Normal School for 26 years, 1899-1925. He completed a
Bachelor of Pedagogy at the Normal in 1878, and from then until he returned as
President 21 years later, practiced law, was a teacher and administrator in
several Iowa & Missouri school systems, and served as Missouri State
Superintendent of Schools, 1894-99. After retiring, President Emeritus Kirk
became a student again, earning both a BSEd and an MSEd; he was 79 years old
when he completed the Masters. His wife, Rebecca Idella Burns (1855-1941), daughter of
James D and Maria (Gilbreath) Burns of Iowa, was also a school teacher. They
married in 1875 and became the parents of six children, all of whom graduated
from the Normal and went into the teaching profession. Robert L Kirk (1877-1969) was a high school teacher, football coach &
principal in South Dakota, Kansas & Oregon before retiring in 1949. Robert
was married twice, first to Jessie Wright, with whom he had a son Charles G.,
then to Zetta Galbraith (1895-1985). Elsie Lucretia Kirk
(1878-1976) served as her father’s secretary and Normal School Registrar,
1899-1912. After completing her Masters she taught in San Francisco until
retirement. Elsie did not marry but did adopt a daughter, Haw Chan. Todd J Kirk
(1882-1956) taught and coached at DePauw University for a few years then
at Kirksville High School for around twenty. He and wife Catharine Johnson
(1895-1980) were the parents of John Robert Jr and Dorothy Elizabeth.
Catharine was also an NMSTC graduate and school teacher. Victor Kirk (1889-1959) served as assistant football
coach while a student at the Normal, directing the “Bull Pups” for a time. He
spent his whole career, 1916-1958, teaching & coaching in St Louis High Schools.
He married Cecilia Kennedy (1888-1978) of Wellsville, MO in 1915. Laura Pauline Kirk
(1893-1940) taught high school art & music in Missouri, Indiana & West Virginia
before taking the position of Associate Professor of Music at Ball State
Teachers College in Indiana. She retired because of ill health & returned
to Kirksville in 1935. Mary Elizabeth Kirk
(1893-1977) was a Home Economics teacher in Illinois until her marriage to
Warner H Newcomb, MD (1894-1972) in 1920. Both Mary and her twin, Pauline, were
talented potters and pottery collectors. Mary’s collection was donated to
the University and is on exhibit in Pickler Memorial Library. Note: The few newspaper clippings included in this collection have been
photocopied on acid-free paper & originals discarded.
For information concerning this collection or to request copies contact:
speccoll@truman.edu
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pages for more information.
The John R & Rebecca Kirk Family
Seated: John, Charles (on John's lap), Rebecca, Todd; Standing:
Victor, Elsie, Mary & Pauline (or Pauline & Mary), Jessie, Robert
K3/0
Administrative Documents
◙ List of newspapers (Normal School Index &
Kirksville Daily Express)
among the donated items that were multiples of issues already in the
University Archives or Missouriana; after consultation with the donor,
some of these duplicates were forwarded to other members of the Kirk
family and the rest discarded ◙ Copies of obituaries & other
biographical information for John & Rebecca Kirk & their children ◙
Copy of this finding aid
K3/1
John Robert & Rebecca Idella (Burns) Kirk
1:1
Photographs of John R Kirk
◙ At the north entrance of Kirk Auditorium, 1924-25 (2) ◙ On players’
bench, Normal football field, nd ◙ Thirty-eight (38) formal studio
portraits (24 poses), late 1880s-1930s; sizes ranging from 4x6” to
11x14”; some mounted, matted, in folders; identified photographers: DP
Thomson, Kansas City; Solem, Thompson, Weir & Moore, Kirksville ◙ John
R Kirk grave site, Maple Hills Cemetery, Kirksville, taken shortly after
his funeral, November 1937
1:2
Photographs of Rebecca Kirk
◙ Formal studio portrait ◙ In her wicker
rocker on the lawn of her Kirksville home, 6 Jul
1938 ◙ Three (3) seated in her living room,
knitting ◙ With unidentified woman in her wicker
lawn chair ◙ One photo each of John & Rebecca
standing by Seagull Monument, Salt Lake City,
July 1920
1:3
Photographs of the Family
◙ John & Rebecca with grandchildren Dorothy & John R Jr in their wicker
lawn chairs, ca 1930; “Mary and Warner from Elsie” in Elsie’s
handwriting on back” ◙ Rebecca, Elsie, Mary & Pauline ◙ Rebecca &
Elsie seated on the porch of the Kirksville house ◙ John & Rebecca with
family and/or friends in the yard of the Kirksville house on their
Golden Anniversary, 15 July 1929; Kathryn; 3 other women unidentified
(faces in shadow) ◙ Bethany School Reunion, 3 Sept 1933; photo by
Kansas City Star (see clipping in folder 1:4); identified Kirks: John R,
Rebecca, Dorothy, Todd & Kathryn, John’s brothers George & Morris ◙
John & Rebecca seated in their lawn chairs with rest of family: Charles
(toddler), Todd, Victor, Elsie, Mary, Pauline, Jessie, Robert ◙
Cecilia, Todd & Pauline, Baker Oregon, Dec 1918 ◙ Todd & one of the
twins with 3 other unidentified women
1:4
Documents
◙ Quote from “The Schoolmaster’s Creed” with John R Kirk signature &
KSNS logo on gray card; w/ envelope ◙ “Lincoln, The Man of the People”
by Edwin Markham: An Appreciation by John R Kirk (1927) ◙ Biography of
John R Kirk removed from unidentified publication (pgs 3-8; cites 1910
Normal School Bulletin) ◙ The Story of A Pioneer Teachers College in
the “Seventies” by John R Kirk (1936) ◙ What Have Religion and
Philosophy Done to Prevent War Among Nations and Peoples?, Kirk’s
address to Kirksville Rotary Club, 18 Nov 1931 ◙ Menu & Program,
Kiwanis-Rotary Luncheon in Honor of John R Kirk, 1 Nov 1923 ◙ George
Peabody College for Teachers Commencement program, 6 June 1930 (JR Kirk
among Masters candidates) ◙ Letter from President Emeritus EL
Hendricks, Central Missouri State Teachers College, 25 Oct 1937, re
Central’s upcoming Homecoming & Inaugural ◙ Newspaper articles ▪ John &
Rebecca Kirk’s 50th Wedding Anniversary (2); St Louis Daily Globe
Democrat, 15 July 1925, & Kirksville Daily Express, 16 July 1925; ▪
School reunion, Bethany, MO; Kansas City Star, 17 Sept 1933 ◙ “In Memory
of Doctor John R. Kirk”, Official Bulletin of the Kirksville Rotary Club
[Nov 1937] ◙ Receipts removed from one of the wallets in folder 1:5 ▪
Horace Mann League dues for 1937 ▪ Missouri State Driver’s License,
application No 660028, 30 Sept 1937 ◙ Formal visiting card for Mrs John
Robert Kirk ◙ Picture postcards ▪ the Kirk home ▪ Kirk Auditorium ◙
Photographs ▪ the Kirk home ▪ Kirk Auditorium under construction
Documents Relating to Kirk Memorial on
NMSTC Campus
◙ “In Honor of Our Late Presidents”, Bulletin of the Northeast Missouri
State Teachers College 38:5 (May 1938); flyer re plans for construction
of the John R Kirk Memorial; pledge card on last page completed by John
R Kirk Jr in the amount of $5 & signed Dec 3, 1938; accompany note, “Dec
3 is my B’day – funny, I don’t remember this / JK” ◙ Mimeographed form
letters (2) to Alumnus from President Walter H
Ryle & GH Jamison, Director Kirk Memorial
Campaign, 1 June 1938, w/enclosed flyer
explaining fund raising campaign
1:6
John Robert Kirk’s Pocket Notebooks
(oversize box)
◙ Pocket-size Book of Psalms; “Grandpa’s, which he read daily to the
last” (note by John Jr on first page) ◙ Daily Pocket-size Diaries,
Memoranda & Address Books (9) containing daily expenditures,
appointments, addresses & miscellaneous notes & statistics, personal &
business ▪ 1882-88 ▪ 1889-93 ▪ 1892 ▪ 1892-94 ▪ 1895 (2) ▪ 1897 ▪
1911-12 ▪ 1923 ◙ 1887-89 Bank Book for account with C Crossan Bank,
Bethany, MO ◙ Address Book ◙ Black leather wallets (2)
K3/2
Elsie Lucretia Kirk
2:1
Photographs
◙ Formal studio portrait, ca 1910; Solem Studio, Kirksville ◙ At work in
Normal School office, ca 1908 ◙ Seated on the bank of Normal Pond ◙ On
front walk of Pierce St house, Kirksville ◙ With daughter Haw Chan, ca
1924 ◙ On roof of her apartment building, San Francisco, Oct 1931
2:2
Documents (gift of Elaine Wegner 2012)
◙ Letter from John Kirk to "Aunt
Elsie," October 18, 1934
K3/3
Todd J Kirk
3:1
Photographs
◙ Formal portrait by Abernathy, 1906 ◙ Formal portrait ca 1936 ◙ In
University of Illinois football sweater, 1905 (2c) ◙ University of
Illinois Sigma Alpha Epsilon Chapter, 16 Sept
1906 ◙ Son John Robert Jr, 1926 ◙ Daughter Dorothy Elizabeth ▪ age 5 mos, 1929 (2c) ▪ At age
3-4, ca 1933
3:2
Correspondence
◙ To Father from Todd, Chanute Field, IL, 1918 ◙ Re Estate of John R
Kirk ▪ Todd’s carbon copy of Robert’s letter to Elsie, Mary & Victor re
estate matters, 4 Oct 1940 ▪ Four (4) notes from Elsie assigning
personal items from Estate to Todd & children, Aug 1941 ▪ Seven (7)
letters to Todd from Robert, re the house in Kirksville, 6 Sept-20 Oct
1941 ◙ To Todd from Walter H Ryle, President Northeast Missouri
State Teachers College, 19 July 1946 ◙ To Todd from Victor, St Louis(2)
▪ 18 Sept 1941 ▪ 30 Aug 1957, w/ envelope ◙ Military Service ▪
From War Department, Director of Finance re claim of pay as aviation
candidate 1 Jul 1919, w/ blank claim forms & envelope ▪ Premium notice
& receipt for War Risk Insurance policy, 1920 ▪ Form letter, w/
envelope, to Mrs Catharine Kirk re 1957 Memorial Day observances
Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery (where Todd is buried)
3:3
Diplomas & Transcripts
◙ Transcripts ▪ Record of Summer Session 1923, University of Illinois
▪ High School & College credits for work completed 1916, Northeast
Missouri State Teachers College (2 forms) [note: NMSTC was First
District Normal School when Todd attended; see diplomas] ▪ Graduate
work, 1928-29, University of Missouri (2 forms) ◙ Diplomas ▪ Bachelor
of Science in Education, Mathematics Course, First District Normal
School, 1916 ▪ Bachelor of Science in Education, Science Course, First
District Normal School, 1916 ▪ Master of Arts, University of Missouri,
1929 ◙ Copies of four (4) letters of recommendation, undated (written
at end of third year as Coach, DePauw University)
3:4
Miscellaneous Documents
◙ Notice of Voter Registration, Board of Election Commissioners, Kansas
City, 1944 ◙ Notice of Separation, Unemployment Compensation Commission
of Missouri, 21 Sep 1945 ◙ Directory, Illinois Beta Chapter, Sigma
Alpha Epsilon, 1950 ◙ Newspaper Clippings ▪ re University of Illinois
football games in which Todd is a primary player (2), The Illini, 5 & 19
Nov 1905 ▪ re military flight training, The Daily Palladiam, Pana,
IL, 18 Nov 1918 ▪ re Todd panning for gold in
the Yukon, Teachers College Index, 28
Feb 1928
K3/4
Victor Kirk
4:1
Photographs
◙ Formal portraits (3) ca 1910; one by Moore
Studio, Kirksville ◙ In front of ivy covered
wall of the Kirksville High St house, by
Patterson Studio
K3/5
Laura Pauline Kirk
5:1
Photographs
◙ Formal studio portraits, various ages
child to adult (6) ◙ Formal studio portraits by
Atelier von Behr, New York City (3 from same
sitting; one signed “Love from Pauline, Xmas
1937”) ◙ Formal studio portrait (2c of 2, same
sitting); ID uncertain: “Pauline?” written on
back, but may be Mary ◙ In cap & gown, 1913 (3c)
◙ By a rose bush, Kirksville house, 1910s ◙ In
snow on front walk of Kirksville house ◙ Three
(3) in unidentifiable locations ◙ With Jean
Scott, Fairmont WV, Easter 1924; 2nd copy of
Pauline alone clipped from same shot ◙ On steps
of brick building (Normal School?) (2) ◙ Seated
on a sofa, Muncie, IN, 1929 (2 shots - one has
top left corner, including top of Pauline’s
head, torn off) ◙ Seated on a large rock on a
California beach, late 1930s
5:2
Diplomas
◙ Bachelor of Pedagogy, Advanced Art Course, First District Normal School,
1912 ◙ Bachelor of Pedagogy, Advanced Arts Course, First District
Normal School, 1913 ◙ Master of Arts, University of Chicago, 1921 ◙
Master of Arts, New York University School of Education, 1934
5:3
Miscellaneous Documents
◙ Newspaper clipping re Pauline speaking to Kirksville PEO Chapter, nd ◙
Photo of an unidentified young man signed “To Pauline with best regards,
Mack” ◙ Pauline’s Normal School enrollment card for Spring Quarter 1913
(Note: this card was not part of the donated collection; it was found in
one of her father’s books and placed with this collection since student
enrollment cards are not maintained by the University Archives and there
is no other place a single item about Pauline would have relevance)
K3/6
Mary Elizabeth (Kirk) Newcomb
6:1
Photographs
◙ Formal studio portraits (43, 2c of one) ◙ In cap & gown, 1913 (2c) ◙
On the porch of a log cabin, July 1920 ◙ Standing beside a car in
Baker, OR, ca 1917-18 ◙ By ivy covered wall of the Kirksville High St
house ◙ By a tree w/ an unidentified woman; ID uncertain: “Possibly?
Mary Kirk” on back, but may be Pauline ◙ Warner Newcomb ◙ Groups of
unidentified young men & women (2); Warner Newcomb may be in each ◙
Sidney Newcomb (Warner’s sister) ◙ Group of school children seated on
steps of building, labeled in childish handwriting “Warner Newcomb,
Gibson City, Ill, May 27 -02” ◙ Group of slightly older children seated
on steps of same building, not labeled (Warner’s class a few years
later?)
6:2
Diplomas, Transcripts & Certificates
◙ Bachelor of Pedagogy, Advanced Art Course, First District Normal
School, 1913 ◙ High School Life Certificate to teach Home Economics,
State Teachers’ Training Board, State of Indiana, 1919 ◙ State Teachers
College Transcript of Record & Tabulated Courses of Study, 1905-18 ◙
Typed certification of credits record, State Teachers College, dated 10
Apr 1926 [note: this was at one time glued to cover of transcript but
has come loose] ◙ Grade card for 4th grade, Training Department, State
Normal School, 1901, w/ envelope ◙ Teachers’ Temporary Certificate
(Substitute in Elementary Schools—Domestic), Public Schools of Chicago,
1921-22
6:3
Kirk-Newcomb Wedding, 5 June 1920,
Chicago, IL
◙ Minister’s certificate & printed text of marriage service in folder
tied w/ satin bow ◙ Ribbons & heart-shaped base of Mary’s bouquet ◙
Clipping of wedding announcement from the Kirksville Daily Express, 8
June 1920 ◙ Snapshots (7) of Mary & Warner with members of the Kirk
family on their wedding trip to Kirksville, 19 June 1920
K3/7
The Twins: Laura Pauline & Mary Elizabeth
Kirk
7:1
Photographs of the Twins Together
Note: Pauline & Mary were identical twins;
there is no indication as to “which is which”
written on these photos; the girls are dressed
alike in all of them ◙ As toddlers, by Carpenter Photographic Rooms, Kansas City ◙ As
toddlers, by Luden Studio, Jefferson City ◙ Formal studio portrait,
about 7-8 years old ◙ Playing with the Brotherton children, Jefferson
City, 1896 ◙ Formal studio portrait as adults ◙ On the front walk of
the Kirksville house
K3/8
Miscellaneous
8:1
Unidentified Photos
◙ Formal portrait of unidentified woman
(possibly John’s mother), Star Studio, Gibson
City, IL ◙ Formal portrait of two unidentified
women, Holler Studio, San Francisco ◙ Male
infant in long dress (possibly John R Kirk), R
Fenwick Studio, Bloomington, IL ◙ Female toddler
(possibly John R Kirk’s sister), Wilsey Studio, Gibson City, IL ◙ White frame
house w/ ice-laden tree in front yard ◙ Unidentified young
African-American man standing by table
8:2
Ephemera
◙ Rebecca’s 14” white silk & bone fan ◙
Normal School souvenir paperweight; 4x2.5x1”
clear glass block w/ portrait of John R Kirk
showing thru from the bottom ◙ Small (1/5x1/75”)
gold oval desk frame; photo of unidentified
woman (face shadowed by hat), possibly one of
the twins ◙ John R Kirk Jr’s official Boys Scouts First Aid Kit; his
initials on front; in canvas pouch w/ belt loop; contains original First
Aid Guide and 2 Band-Aids; also John’s note “This was my Kit. I
don’t remember any Tragedies in childhood that would have emptied this
Kit. JK 7/13/98” ◙ Bank deposit bags (2), Citizens National Bank,
Kirksville
8:3
Addenda: Miscellaneous Photographs
While cleaning out a store room in 1994, EM Violette Museum
staff found a box of Kirk family pictures in a stack of unrelated items.
Most are snapshots, many of which were obviously vacation pictures of
(primarily) unidentified scenery. Those that include family members,
even those of uncertain identity, have been added as a supplement to
this collection.
◙ Robert ▪ In cap & gown ▪ Army, WWI (2) ▪
With his guns ◙ Elsie ▪ Seated at her desk ▪ In
a Pony Cart ▪With three unidentified friends ▪
With Marion Leeper ▪ Daughter Haw Chan lying on
the beach ◙ Kirk Brothers, Robert, Todd and/or
Victor (24) individually or with each other,
their wives & children or friends (unsure of ID)
◙ Elsie, one of the twins, one of the brothers &
others on the lawn of the Kirksville house (2) ◙
The Twins (one or the other or both) ▪ As
children with one of their brothers ▪ On lawn of
Kirksville house ▪ In the snow in front of the
house ◙ Burns Family: ▪ Mrs JA Ruth (Rebecca
Kirk’s sister); Family reunion at Burns farm, Ft
Dodge, IA, ca 1903: Ben Burns, Paul Uren, Clara
Wilburn (school chum of Jazel’s), Jazel, Rose
Albee (later Ben’s 2nd wife), Grace (Ben’s 1st
wife), myself, Father, Mother (“Myself” who
wrote the ID on the back is not identified) ▪
Ben F Burns & family: Bert in (WWI) Navy
uniform, Rose & Clara’s names written on face of
photo ◙ The Kennedys (Cecilia’s family) in
Vancover, BC (3); includes Larry, Gus Loures &
an unidentified man ◙ Cecilia on vacation ▪
Windsor, Ontario ▪ (w/ Mrs Tim Gill), San
Antonio, 1943 ▪ With Margaret Banks &
unidentified woman, Tiajuana, Mexico (2) ▪ On
the ferry in New York City (2)
For information concerning this collection contact: speccoll@truman.edu
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