He was the founder and director of the Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archaeology at West Virginia University.

Emory was requested to go to the Engineer Research and Development Center in Alexandria, Virginia, "so I fought the Korean War in Washington.

And, one time I was running very late and I ended up in a differential equations course at George Washington University in full uniform with a bayonet!

[5] Kemp continued to offer consulting work throughout his career as a Professor at West Virginia University.

Kemp had a long list of publications in civil engineering, specifically suspension bridges, wrought iron, mills, canals, and the history of these subjects, and as a result paved the way for the "new interdisciplinary field" known as industrial archaeology.

[5] Kemp received numerous awards, including the coveted election as an Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

[19] Kemp had an award created in his honor, by the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, an organization which he is a co-founder of.