Herman Kurz Papers, 1932-1957
Collection context
Summary
- Extent:
- 2.00 folders
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
Herman Kurz Collection, Heritage & University Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/MSS-2007-010
Background
- Scope and content:
The Herman Kurz Collection contains photocopies of several news clippings from Kurz's scrapbooks and an original and photocopy of the autobiographical sketch he delivered at the Tallahassee Kiwanis Club. These materials are significant in documenting the work of one of the foremost authorities on Florida plant life.
- Biographical / historical:
Dr. Herman Kurz was a professor of botany at Florida State College for Women. Born in Iowa in 1886, he was adopted when he was ten years old. During his teenage years, he was at various times a bell boy, a clerk, and a waiter. He was selling newspapers when President William McKinley was assassinated. By the time he was 20, he became successively a night clerk, a ditch-digger, a "chicken picker," a canning factory employee, a waiter in a hot dog stand, and finally an apprenticed barber. He traveled from town to town as a barber, and at 26 he went to Chicago and operated a barber shop. In his speech to the Kiwanis Club delivered in 1932, Kurz noted that his work in barber shops had brought him into contact with educated men and he had "dreamed of an education."
- Acquisition information:
- Given by Robin Sellers in June 2007.
- Custodial history:
Materials were given to Robin Sellers by Herman Kurz's daughter, Rose Kurz. The photocopied newsclippings were part of Herman Kurz's scrapbook.
- Processing information:
Processed by Burt Altman in November 2008.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
This collection is open to all researchers.
This collection is in an offsite storage location. Please contact lib-specialcollections@fsu.edu with requests for access or for more information.
- Terms of access:
To request permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from the archives, please contact Heritage & University Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. Researchers must obtain separate permission from the copyright holders of material held within University Archives collections for which the institution does not hold copyright.
- Preferred citation:
Herman Kurz Collection, Heritage & University Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/MSS-2007-010
- Location of this collection:
-
116 Honors WayTallahasseeFL32306-2047USA
