Rear Admiral Louis Kempff (October 11, 1841 – July 29, 1920) was an officer of the United States Navy from 1857 to 1903.

[1] After passing the entrance exams, he received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, on September 21, 1857.

[1] Towards the end of his senior year at Annapolis, the American Civil War erupted and Kempff was detached from the Naval Academy and called into active service in May 1861.

[1] On November 7, 1861, Kempff participated in the Battle of Port Royal, near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Kempff subsequently served on the Board of Inspection and Survey in San Francisco, California, during which time he was promoted to captain.