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Charles Julius Kullmer Papers

An inventory of his papers at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Tim Carter
Date: 2016

Biography

Charles J. Kullmer was a professor of German at Syracuse University from 1905 to 1942, as well as a scientist recognized for his invention of the Kullmer Constellation Finder and for his research on weather systems.

Charles J. Kullmer was born on March 5, 1879, in Sedalia, Missouri. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was seven, and they moved again to Montana when he was about to enter high school. Kullmer received his A.B. degree from Harvard in 1900, and then his Ph.D. from Tubingen University in Heidelberg, Germany in 1901. Between 1901 and 1905, he taught at Harvard-Radcliffe and the University of Indiana. Kullmer was welcomed to Syracuse University in 1905 as an assistant professor and taught for thirty-seven years until his death in 1942.

During his time as a professor, he frequently visited Germany to write about the country’s history, geography and culture. In 1907, he published an essay called Possneck and Herman and Dorothea, in which he argued that the city of Possneck inspired a scene from Goethe’s famous epic. In 1912, he published A Sketch Map of Germany, and in 1914, published France, A French Composition Book with Sketch Maps. He was chosen by the German Societies of Syracuse to give the main address for the hundredth anniversary of Goethe’s death in 1932.

Kullmer also worked independently as a scientist and made lasting contributions to the field of astronomy. He invented the Kullmer Constellation Finder, an instrument that allowed anyone to easily track the position of celestial bodies. His research on weather systems, titled “The Latitude Shift of the Storm Track in the Eleven-year Solar Period,” was published by the Smithsonian Institute in 1915.

Scope and Content Note

The Charles J. Kullmer Papers include correspondences, photographs, and writings. The bulk of the material found in the scrapbooks concerns his studies in German literature and his invention, the Kullmer Constellation Finder. There are copies of his publications, Possneck and Hermann and Dorothea, A Sketch Map of Germany, and France, a French Composition Book with Sketch Maps. A copy of Flowers and Insects, written by Dr. O Von Kirchner, translated by Kullmer's German 5 class, as well as a letter from Sallie A. Kullmer, his mother, containing some biographical material, are also in the collection.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

The Archives holds a clipping file and portrait file for Charles Julius Kullmer.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Kullmer, Charles Julius, 1879-1942.
Syracuse University -- Faculty.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Astronomy.
German language.
College teachers.
Higher education.

Types of Material

Photographs.
Scrapbooks.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Charles Julius Kullmer Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

The Archives has no information about the acquisition of the Kullmer Papers.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes.

Table of Contents

Papers

Inventory