Clarence O. Kuester, Sr., papers

Clarence Otto Kuester Sr. was a lifelong resident of Charlotte, NC. He worked for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and was well known throughout the community. A newspaper headline that was published shortly after his death in 1948 says "Clarence Kuester was Beloved by Everyone."

Early in his business career, he entered the grocery business, working for R.E. Young as a clerk in his store. He later became a partner in the Durham-Kluppelberg grocery business. Five years later, this became the Kuester-Pharr Company, and later, the Kuester-Lowe Company. He later was one of the organizers of the Charlotte Civic Club, which later became the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. From that point onward, Kuester became a tireless promoter and booster of Charlotte to any and all who showed an interest in doing business in Charlotte.

Among his pet projects were the sesquicentennial celebration of the Battle of King's Mountain on October 7, 1930; and the development of a theatrical production celebrating the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Kuester first proposed the plan in December of 1947, with the intention that it would be a production something like “The Lost Colony,” a play written by Paul Green and performed on Roanoke Island each summer since 1937. According to Kuester’s idea, this play would be performed on May 20, 1948—the anniversary date of the “Meck-Dec.” The play was staged, however, not before Kuester’s untimely death. He died of a heart attack on Friday, March 15, 1948 at the age of 72--just a little more than two months prior to the play’s May 20 production date. ---------------------- Sources: Clarence O. Kuester, Senior papers, MS0443, University of University of North Carolina at Charlotte Library.

Clarence O. Kuester, Junior papers, Mss 134, University of University of North Carolina at Charlotte Library.