41-year-old Ellie Kemper is currently a trending topic on social media for all the wrong reasons after fans dug up something from her past that is causing controversy.
She is known for hits like The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
When did Ellie Kemper win the Veiled Prophet Ball?
Ellie Kemper has been reportedly crowned the queen of Veiled Prophet Ball of 1999 when she was 19 years old.
The name of the event has already been changed to Fair Saint Louis in 1992 and the annual debutante ball is held in St. Louis.
An article in The Atlantic, which was written back in 2014, revealed how the debutante ball was founded by wealthy White elites back in 1878 and “emphasized the existing power structure.”
What is the Veiled Prophet?
An anonymous person played the “Veiled Prophet” at each ball and that person, who was chosen by local elites, got to choose the Queen of Love and Beauty at each ball.
She was “the 105th young woman to be so honored by the Veiled Prophet organization. She wore a white satin square-neck gown designed by Tomasina and purchased at Saks Fifth Avenue.”
There is also a photo of her being crowned at the event.
What is the connection between Veiled Prophets and KKK?
While there is not much connection between the two, illustrations of the early Veiled Prophets have a striking resemblance to members of the Ku Klux Klan, though it has been pointed out that KKK members did not begin wearing white hoods and robes until 1915.
Black members were not allowed into the VP organization until 1979, though many of those members were reportedly embarrassed by the organization. Despite the name change of the event, the “Veiled Prophet Ball” is still held every year.
History Of The Veiled Prophet
Veiled Prophet was founded in the late 1800s by Charles Slayback. They conducted elaborate events and rituals that only included a confidential guest list.
They instilled fear in the working class that was striking at the time. The journalist who conducted the research, Scott Beauchamp, related the appearance of the mystified Veiled Prophet as, “strikingly similar in appearance to a Klansman.”
Article about Ellie Kemper winning the Veiled Prophet Queen
The article back in 1999 wrote:
Elizabeth Claire “Ellie” Kemper, 19, the 1999 Queen of Love and Beauty, was crowned Thursday night at the Veiled Prophet Ball in the Promenade Ballroom at the Adam’s Mark Hotel.
Kemper is the 105th young woman to be so honored by the Veiled Prophet organization. She wore a white satin square-neck gown designed by Tomasina and purchased at Saks Fifth Avenue.
A freshman at Princeton University, Kemper is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Kemper. She is the grand-daughter of the late Brig. Gen. and Mrs. James M. Kemper. David Kemper is chairman and chief executive of Commerce Bank and Commerce Bancshares Inc. James Kemper is a Kansas City Banker.
A 1998 graduate of John Burroughs High School, Ellie Kemper was a national Merit Scholarship finalist. She is an accomplished athlete, in track and field hockey. She made All-State in both sports and was co-captain of the 1997 Missouri State championship field hockey team.Her interests include running and musical theater. She’s also done volunteer work with the St. Louis Crisis Nursery, Aim High and Habitat for Humanity.
