Krey, August C. (August Charles), 1887-1961

August Charles Krey was born in Germany on June 29, 1887. At an early age, his family immigrated to Wisconsin. All of his degrees were earned from the University of Wisconsin between 1907 and 1914. In the same period, he taught high school in Milwaukee. In 1910 he was an instructor at the University of Texas and in 1912 he took an appointment at the University of Illinois. In 1913 he came to the University of Minnesota where he spent the remainder of his career teaching history. In 1915 he became an assistant professor. Subsequent promotion occurred in 1917 and 1925. He was appointed chairman of the Department of History in 1944. As a student at the University of Wisconsin Krey studied under Frederick Jackson Turner, Dane Carleton Munro and George Clarke Sellery. Influenced by Munro, Krey developed an interest in the Crusades and most specifically William of Tyre whose writings Krey edited and published. His text, The First Crusade, was widely used and he participated in the compilation of History of the Crusades published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. Sellery’s influence led to a later interest in the Renaissance leading to a study of Florence, Italy, and his book, The City That Art Built (1936). Interest in the teaching of history is demonstrated in a collection of essays by Krey entitled History and the Social Web (1955). In 1925 he was named chairman of the Committee of the American Historical Association on History in the Schools, a post he held until 1929 when he became chair of the American Historical Association Commission on the Investigation of Social Studies in the Schools. His interest in teaching was manifested in the methods course on history in the University of Minnesota’s College of Education. Krey held a number of summer appointments at a number of colleges and universities. He was active in a number of professional organizations. He served a number of terms as the editor of the American Historical Review, was a member of the Council of the American Historical Association. He was president of the Folk Arts Foundation in 1946, vice president of the Minnesota Historical Society. He also was a member of the Medieval Academy and the American Association of University Professors. Krey was married on August 20, 1913 to Laura Lettie Smith. They had two children, Frances Letitia Bosford and Terry Fort Krey. Krey died at Houston, Texas, on July 28, 1961.

From the guide to the August Charles Krey Papers, 1887-1961., (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])

August Charles Krey was a professor and later head of the University of Minnesota Dept. of History. He was active in national and state organizations, including the American Association of University Professors, the American Historical Association, and its Commission on the Social Studies in the Schools, the Minnesota Historical Society and the National Council for the Social Studies.

From the description of August C. Krey papers, 1910-1955. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63291872

August Charles Krey was a university professor, an historian, and chairman of the History Dept. at the University of Minnesota.

From the description of August Charles Krey papers, 1910-1955. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63286037