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Collection Number: 05801

Collection Title: Kemp Battle Nye Papers, 1930s-2000s

This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


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Size 9.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 1800 items)
Abstract Kemp Battle Nye (1915-1994) was a white University of North Carolina alumnus, a U.S. Marine in the detachment guarding the U.S. emabassy in Peking (now Beijing) in the 1930s, a record store owner in Chapel Hill, N.C., and a writer. Papers of Kemp Battle Nye chiefly document his time at the University of North Carolina as a student; his record store, "Kemp's"; and life in Chapel Hill, N.C. Materials include clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, writings, an account ledger for the store, and subject files. The Addition of December 2019 consists of Nye's writings on his experiences in China during the 1930s and on North Carolina and copies of The Horse Marines of Peking, in which Nye is the narrator, and Triangle Almanac.
Creator Nye, Kemp Battle, 1916-
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
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Restrictions to Access
Use of audio materials may require production of listening or viewing copies.
Restrictions to Use
No usage restrictions.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Kemp Battle Nye Papers #05801, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Nancy Nye in September 2019 (Acc. 103711) and December 2019 (Acc. 103763).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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Processed by: Nancy Kaiser and Gillian McCuistion, September 2019

Encoded by: Nancy Kaiser, September 2019

Updated by: Anne Wells and Andrew Crook, October 2019; Nancy Kaiser, February 2020

Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.

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The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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Kemp Battle Nye (1915-1994) was a white University of North Carolina alumnus, a U.S. Marine in the detachment guarding the U.S. emabassy in Peking (now Beijing) in the 1930s, record store owner in Chapel Hill, N.C., and writer. During the 1930s, he served with the Marines that guarded the U.S. embassy in Peking, China. From 1955 to 1977, Nye owned a record store, "Kemp's," on Franklin Street that was popular with students for decades. After retiring from the music business, he turned his attention to writing. Kemp Battle Nye died in 1994.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

Kemp Battle Nye (1915-1994) was a white University of North Carolina alumnus, a U.S. Marine in the detachment guarding the U.S. emabassy in Peking (now Beijing) in the 1930s, a record store owner in Chapel Hill, N.C., and a writer. Papers of Kemp Battle Nye chiefly document his time at the University of North Carolina as a student; his record store, "Kemp's"; and life in Chapel Hill, N.C. The original deposit consists of clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, drafts of "The Great Swarth" and Ripshin, an account ledger for the store, and subject files.

The Addition of December 2019 consists of Nye's writings on his experiences in China during the 1930s and on North Carolina, related correspondence, and other materials documenting his efforts to have them published. Also included are videotapes of The Horse Marines of Peking, in which Nye is the narrator, and Triangle Almanac.

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Contents list

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Kemp Battle Nye Papers, 1930s-2000s.

1000 items.

Arrangement: as received from donor.

Oversize Paper Folder OPF-5801/1

Photocopies of articles about William C. Friday and John F. Kennedy

Box 1

"The Great Swarth"

Box 2

"The Great Swarth"

Ripshin

Old East cornerstone

Marines, 1940s-1980s

Yackety Yak 1938: Revised 50th Reunion, 1938

Basketball note paper

Miscellaneous, 1960s-1990s

Bread Load Conference: Middlebury College, 1993-1994

Newspaper clippings of Kemp and his store, 1960s-2000s

Box 3

Correspondence, 1980s-1990s

Jim Vickers file, 1992-1993

Mary Jane Mann letters, 1980s-1990s

Laura Dalton, 1988-1989

Vestal Taylor, 1990s

Jonathan Yardley profile, 1993

Thomas Estes letters, 1980s-1990s

Thomas Estes: U.S. Ambassador , 1930s, 1980s-1990s

Roland Giduz letters, 1992-1993

Lone Scout, 1991-1993

Burl Ives, 1984

Plan: To bring water from the new river, 1970s-1980s

Bill Cochrane, 1982

William Friday, 1983-1984

Miscellaneous writings: Kemp Battle Nye

Mural dedication: Chapel Hill Post Office, 1993

Terry Sanford, 1983

Doc Waddell, Ripshin, 1980s-1990s

Letters on Ripshin, 1980s-1990s

High school diploma, 1934

Kemp Nye family record

Ceremony: Marker at McCauley grave, 1939

Genealogy of Nye family

Kemp Nye family photos

Land grant to Matthew McCauley

Autobiography: Kemp Battle Nye

Mailing list

Virginia Carolina High School, 1980s-1990s

Obituary, 1994

Famous visitors to Kemp's store, 1950s-1990s

Letters to editor: Chapel Hill newspaper, 1980s

Cripple Creek: Ripshin

Dougald McMillan, 1990

Chalice of Clay

Virginia Creeper, 1986

Ben Long: Frescoes, 1970s-1980s

Box 4

Ripshin

Box 5

Accounts ledger for Kemp's record store, 1950s-1960s

Image Box IB-5801/1

Vestal Taylor

Creston, N.C., stage coach stop

County Commission race, 1966

Jessie Rehder

Jac Dunn article

University of North Carolina court, Johnny T-shirt

Holiday dinners with Chancellor Robert House and Family

Adelaide McCall

Roland Fullilove, M.D. (godfather to son)

Matthew McCauley

Nye's, Ney's

Image Box IB-05802/2

Plummer Scarlett

Bamboo Jungle

Flowers

Chalice of Clay

Ben Long and Kemp On Sight, Glendale Springs

Kitties

House and flowers

Purple Heart Iwo Jima

Brubeck concert

Kennedy memorial

Michael Brown

Carolina 1934-1935: Freshman year

Summer of 1935, Myrtle Beach

Image Box IB-05802/3

The Famous and Not so Famous at Kemp's Records 50s-60s-70s

President Clinton, 1993

William McCauley, 1977

David Perlmutt Letter, 1992

George Nickolson dies

Larry Carrol series

Kemp House going up

Photos after lot sales

Scarlett

Record shop

Our house in all seasons

Miscellaneous for proper filing: Dougal, Ritchie, Kemp

Image Box IB-05802/4

Current and general photos

Kemp's records Chez Kemp - LTD

Chris Martin photos by Douglas Hunt

Signal books photos with Dougald McMillan

Roylee Duvalls contact sheet

Photos Kemp, 1950s-1970s

Masonic photos

Happy holidays with Dee-Da, Dec-84

Burl Ives and Frank Sinatra

Audiocassette C-5801/1

Thanksgiving with Chancellor House, 1976

Audiocassette

Audiocassette C-5801/2

Thanksgiving with Chancellor House, 1977

Audiocassette

Audiocassette C-5801/3

Kemp, WCHL short news report, 28 April 1994

Audiocassette

Audiocassette C-5801/4

[unidentified audio recording]

Audiocassette

Audiocassette C-5801/5

[unidentified audio recording]

Audiocassette

Audiocassette C-5801/6

[unidentified audio recording]

Audiocassette

Audiocassette C-5801/7

[unidentified audio recording]

Audiocassette

Audiocassette C-5801/8

[unidentified audio recording]

Audiocassette

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Papers, 1930s-1990s (Addition of December 2019).

800 items.

Acquisitions Information: Accession 103763

Arrangement: as received from donor.

The addition consists of Nye's writings on his experiences in China during the 1930s and on North Carolina, related correspondence, and other materials documenting his efforts to have them published. Also included are videotapes of The Horse Marines of Peking, in which Nye is the narrator, and Triangle Almanac.

Box 6-7

Box 6

Box 7

Writings and related materials, 1970s-1990s

Oversize Paper Folder OPF-5801/2

Certificate of membership in "Non-Commissioned Officers' Club, Marine Detachment, American Embassy, Peiping, China"

Videotape VT-5801/1

Triangle Almanac, 25 January 1993; Horse Marines of Peking volume 1, 6 May 1991

VHS

Videotape VT-5801/2

Horse Marines of Peking volume 1, 1992

VHS

Videotape VT-5801/3

Triangle Almanac, 25 January 1993

VHS

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