KUHN, HARRY DALE

Copyright 2011-2018 John N. Lupia, III

Fig. 1. Photo detail of Harry Dale Kuhn published in News-Journal, Saturday, January 27, 1951, page 38

Harry Dale Kuhn (1882-1966), was born on May 13, 1882, at Jackson, Ohio, son of George Ursinus Kuhn (1855-1918), and Mary Elizabeth Bricker (1858-1947).

In June 1904 he graduated Ohio University of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, with a degree in Pharmacy.

On July 8, 1904, he married Grace Agnes Skiles (1885-1951). They had four children : Walter (1905-1981), Gertrude (1906-1984), Carolyn (1908-1983), and Georgene (1916-1986).

Kuhn was a horticulturist and herbalist maintaining a beautiful garden. He collected stamps, coins, old glass bottles, arrowheads and Indian relics, historical newspapers, and pipes. His glass bottle collection comprised over 2,000 specimens.

He joined the ANA in January 1921 and was given ANA Member No. 2177.

Kuhn was a druggist and ran a pharmacy and laboratory as a manufacturing pharmacist at Kuhn Laboratories, Shelby, Ohio.

Fig. 2. Among his products were : Kuhnies Laxative "The Pill that Will", True Blue Cold Treatment, and Grandma Kuhn's Picklesweet.

Fig. 3. Kuhn correspondence with Henry Chapman, Jr., postmarked September 25, 1928. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection The Chapman Family Correspondence Archive.

In 1931, he donated four stone pipes to the Ohio Archaeological Society.

Fig. 4. On Tuesday, April 17, 1934, he sold his coin collection at auction through B. Max Mehl, Sale #88.

In December 1934, he was sued by the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio for misbranding Kuhn's Ep-Sum pills, marketing with false therapeutic and curative claims.

In June 1946 he won an award at the Shelby Stamp Show for his collection of the round-the-world trip of the Graf Zeppelin. His letter was postmarked Friedrichshafen, Germany, May 15, 1929. It also had the notation "Delivery delayed on account of break on first American trip." He also had a letter and card sent from Lakehurst, New Jersey to Germany postmarked October 28, 1928.

Fig. 5. Photo of Harry Dale Kuhn with his pipe collection published in News-Journal, Saturday, January 27, 1951, page 38

He died on February 16, 1966, at Ganges, Richland, Ohio. He is buried at the Shelby-Oakland Cemetery, Shelby, Richland County, Ohio.

He was a member of the First Lutheran Church and Shelby Masonic Lodge.

Bibliography :

The Numismatist, January (1921) : 21

News-Journal, Thursday, August 8, 1929, page 7

Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly (1931) : 532

The Bankers Monthly, Vol. 51 (1934) : 546

Notices of Judgments Under the Food and Drug Acts : U. S. Food and Drug Administration (1936) : 213

News-Journal, Tuesday, June 11, 1946, page 5

News-Journal, Sunday, June 11, 1961, page 3

News-Journal, Thursday, February 17, 1966, page 3

John Weston Adams, United States Numismatic Literature, Vol. 2 : 65