author
Louis Wiltz Kemp
1881–1956
Best known as a passionate guardian of Texas history, he spent decades gathering documents, checking facts, and helping shape how the state's early story was remembered. His books and public history work made him an important voice in preserving the legacy of the Texas Revolution.
1 Audiobook
The Battle of San Jacinto and the San Jacinto Campaign
by Louis Wiltz Kemp, Edward W. Kilman
About the author
Born in Cameron, Texas, on September 4, 1881, Louis Wiltz Kemp studied engineering at the University of Texas before beginning a long career with the Texas Company, later Texaco. Alongside that business career, he devoted himself to researching Texas history and became widely respected for his deep knowledge of the state's early years.
Kemp wrote and edited works on Texas history, including books connected to the Texas Revolution and its leaders. He was especially known for careful historical research, for helping verify inscriptions on monuments and markers, and for preserving records and stories that might otherwise have been lost.
He also played a major role in public memory projects in Texas. Sources on his life credit him as a key force behind the San Jacinto Monument and Museum, and as an important figure in the development of the Texas State Cemetery and other commemorative efforts. He died in Houston on November 15, 1956, but his work continued to shape the way Texans remember their past.