The James S. Kemper Foundation

. . . celebrating 60 years of building America’s future leaders through the Kemper Scholars Program


The fundamental philosophy of the James S. Kemper Foundation is that a college-level education in the liberal arts represents the ideal preparation for life and work, especially for careers in administration and business. The mission of the Foundation is to promote that philosophy.

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James S. Kemper, Sr.

In 1942, James Scott Kemper, founder of the Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company and related Kemper insurance companies, established an independent private foundation. The Kemper companies provided significant financial support to the Foundation’s endowment during its first 25 years. That endowment now stands at approximately 40 million dollars, committed like the Foundation’s founder to helping shape the future leaders of American organizations.

Since its inception, the Foundation has concentrated on funding projects related to higher education. A special internship/scholarship initiative operated by the Foundation, the Kemper Scholars Program, has flourished since 1948 and is approaching its 60th anniversary year. The Foundation has also expanded its activities to include educational project grants and support for certain educational programs for college students at cultural institutions in Chicago.

In 2004, the Board of Trustees determined that future grants will be made to small, private undergraduate colleges, with a particular emphasis on liberal arts education and its relationship to administration, business, and leadership. The Kemper Scholar Program has been modified to provide broader opportunities to college students at fifteen partner institutions, all of them small and private. The Foundation continues to provide support for college student opportunities and internships at Chicago’s cultural organizations.