Joseph F. Kwapil
1882-1933

[Obituary from The New York Times, December 25, 1933, page 23]

J. F. KWAPIL IS DEAD;
NEWSPAPER WORKER

Librarian for 20 years with The Philadelphia
Public Ledger --- Founded National Group.
Special to The New York Times.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 24. -- Joseph F. Kwapil,
twenty years librarian of The Philadelphia Public
Ledger and Evening Public Ledger, died today at
Sharon Hall Hospital here in his fifty-second year.

Mr. Kwapil in 1922 was founder of the first national
group of newspaper workers in the country, the
newspaper group of librarians, later affiliated with
the Special Library Association. He served as chair-
man for several years and his efforts were respons-
ible for modernizing and improving the equipment
and organization of many newspaper libraries.

Born at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he studied in the public
schools there and at the University of Chicago. He
was associated successively with the libraries of The
Minneapolis Tribune, The Chicago Tribune, The
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, The Washington Times
and The Pittsburgh Post and Sun. In 1914 he took
charge of The Ledger Library and developed it into
one of the largest and best equipped organizations
of its kind in the country.

Mr. Kwapil is survived by his widow, the former Ida
B. Freeman and two sons, Joseph F. Kwapil Jr. and
and Robert F. Kwapil. His Home was at Rutledge.

[Article from The New York Times, June 25, 1925, page 22.]

Note: this article, titled "Special Librarians Meet at Swampscott"
described the 16th annual convention of the Special Libraries
Association. Included in the article was this mention of
Joseph F. Kwapil and the newspaper librarians.

". . . . During the afternoon the convention divided into group
meetings, the most active of which was the group of newspaper
librarians which met for its third annual conference. Members
were present from cities extending from Boston to Baltimore and
Milwaukee. Joseph F. Kwapil, librarian of the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, presided. The subject for discussion was filing systems
for newspaper clippings.  Speakers in the symposium were James
W. Wells of The New York World, Miss Agnes Peterson of The
Milwaukee Journal, John H. Wilbur of the King Features Syndicate
of New York, Mrs. Alice N. Landberg of The Portland (Me.) Express
and Mr. Kwapil. Paul P. Foster of The Boston Herald reference
department led a round table discussion on problems of newspaper
reference departments."
-- 30 --

NEWSPAPER AT AUCTION
Plant of Evening Public Ledger
on Block in Philadelphia

Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 5 [1942, page 29]
The fully equipped newspaper plant of the bankrupt
Evening Public Ledger, capable of printing 132,000
thirty-two page papers an hour, will go on the auction
block in a trustees'sale on Sept. 15, 16, and 17.

Included among the items for sale is the morgue
and library, reorganized on Jan. 1, 1914, by the
late Joseph F. Kwapil and considered one of the
foremost newspaper libraries in the country.

It includes the library of the old North American,
Press and Telegraph, 85,000 bound volumes of The
Public Ledger and The Evening Public Ledger from
1836 to 1941, and the Soule collection of pictures.

The four-and-one-half story building at Seventh and
Sansom Streets, twenty-four Hoe unit presses, and a
large array of linotypes, Intertypes and monotypes will
sold, as will 107 automobile delivery truck and the like.

The sale will be held on the premises, conducted by
Samuel T. Freeman & Co., auctioneers, beginning
at 10:00 A.M. on each of the three days.