By LESLIE COLLINS
Northeast News
February 12, 2014

With unbridled enthusiasm, the sixth graders greeted the 63-year-old at the door. They knew his favorite childhood book (Harold and the Purple Crayon); his favorite cookie (chocolate chip) and his favorite color (navy blue). Most importantly, however, they knew this was a man of integrity, a hero.

R. Crosby Kemper III, executive director of the Kansas City Public Library, stood with an unassuming demeanor. His red paisley tie accented his gray pinstriped suit and a blue cotton scarf remained draped around his neck. Students led him to a chair, where he watched a brief PowerPoint presentation and video depicting what the students had learned about him. Behind him was the “Focus Wall” where handmade posters depicted the highlights of his life, including a few of his good-humored selfies.

“I was super excited. It was like a dream,” sixth grader Nena White said. “When he walked through the door I really felt like I was meeting a famous person.”

Kemper is now the third “hero” to be featured in the Gladstone Heroes Program at Gladstone Elementary School. Each year, a different grade level is chosen to participate in the program, along with a new hero. Gladstone’s definition of a hero is an “ordinary person who can do extraordinary things.”

“I hope the students can see a role model that can inspire them to strive to be their best personal selves and to be able to see that they have a personal responsibility to give back to their community,” said Gladstone Elementary Vice Principal Missie Condit. “That each of them has the capacity to be a hero.”

For more than two hours on a December day, Kemper sat next to the students, patiently answering a multitude of questions. What’s your favorite type of art? What’s your favorite holiday? What’s your favorite movie?

What was it like being CEO of UMB bank? It was an interesting job, he said, and one that came with challenges following the 9/11 attack that not only shook the U.S., but the stock market. One of UMB’s largest customers was headquartered on the upper level of one of the twin towers and lost two-thirds of its employees. Located next door to the World Trade Center was Fidelity, and UMB began processing their checks and conducting other necessary business for the company.

“I worked 48 hours straight under stressful conditions,” Kemper said. “I think we did pretty well, and I’m pretty proud.”

One of Kemper’s favorite hobbies is reading – everyday.

“The foundation of education is reading,” he told the students.

And an education leads to a better career, a better understanding of the world.

“I think reading is a great pleasure, not only because you can learn about the world, but there are great stories in the world,” Kemper said.

Kemper’s passion for reading didn’t go unnoticed by White.

“I never heard of a guy his age reading books that much,” White said. “Mr. Kemper, he just loves to read, and I wish I could read that much and read as many books as he did.”

As Kemper spoke that day, White tried to scribble down his answers to their questions, because she wanted to teach her sister and dad about Kemper and the Kemper family, she said.

“He’s a really normal guy,” sixth grader Jamill Phillips said. “He’s just a person who does a lot for our community and improves things in our schools.”

Condit said Kemper has always been a “strong community advocate” who’s dedicated to literacy.

“I knew our students could learn so much from the story of his life journey,” Condit said.

As the sixth graders stared intently at Kemper, he shared one of his toughest life lessons.

“Everything changes… people come and go in your life,” Kemper said. “You have to know that things will change, and structure your life so you can handle the changes that come.”

Then, he shared his personal motto from Winston Churchill: “Never give up.”

Recalling the events of that day, sixth grader Ramon Barron Lopez rattled off a number of lessons he learned.

“He told us that being a reader helps you become a leader, because reading helps you in life,” Lopez said. “He said, ‘If you want to do something, you’ve got to work hard to do it and you’ve got to finish your education… try to follow your dream, do the best at whatever you want to be.’ He told us to work hard in life and it’s never going to be easy, but if you work hard, it will repay you back in the future.”

When he met Kemper for the first time, Lopez said he felt nervous because he had never met a “famous person” in real life before. Another aspect that impressed Lopez about Kemper was that he graduated from Yale.

“You don’t see everybody going to Yale,” Lopez said matter-of-factly.

For Lopez, the definition of a hero is someone who gives and doesn’t expect anything in return, a person who helps others and is selfless.

“A hero to me is someone who is brave… and respectful,” he added.

One of Kemper’s personal heroes is John Quincy Adams, whose last words before he died entailed his fervor for ending the gag rule.

“He’s one of my heroes because he never stopped fighting. He never gave up,” Kemper said.

For a man who’s earned distinctions of the National Gold Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Difference Maker Award from the Urban League of Kansas City and induction into the Mid-America Education Hall of Fame, the students wanted to know Kemper’s favorite award. Without missing a beat, he said, “I think being your hero is my favorite award. This is it.”