John Harold Kittleson (b. 1905) was born and spent most of his life in south Minneapolis. After graduating from the city's South High School in 1922, he took a job in shipping and receiving at Dayton's Department Store. A book lover and collector since childhood, Kittleson took a particular interest in helping out with the receiving of books. He volunteered to help in the book department during the holiday rush period and was soon hired on permanently. After a brief stint as manager of the Minneapolis branch of Mabel Ulrich's book store in 1930, Kittleson took a position in the prestigious book section of Powers Department Store, then under the leadership of Leonard H. Wells. When Wells passed away in 1933, Kittleson succeeded him as manager. In 1945, Kittleson resigned his position at Powers to work as a travelling sales representative for Random House. He retired in 1969 but remained very involved in the book world through involvement with the Friends of the Minneapolis Library, the Ampersand Club (a Minneapolis bibliophile group), and other book-related activities.
From the guide to the Harold Kittleson papers., 1913-2000., (Minnesota Historical Society)
