Editing Joyce Kilmer (section)

===Early years and education: 1886–1908===
[[File:17 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ - Joyce Kilmer House.jpg|thumb|Birthplace at 17 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, New Brunswick]]
Kilmer was born December 6, 1886, in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]],<ref>Certificate of Birth for Alfred Joyce Kilmer, December 6, 1886, on microfilm at the Archives of the State of New Jersey, 225 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey.</ref> the fourth and youngest child,<ref group="note">Per Miriam A. Kilmer's website ([http://www.risingdove.com/Kilmer/FAQ.asp located here]. Retrieved August 14, 2012), Joyce was the fourth and youngest; however, two of his siblings, sister Ellen Annie Kilmer (1875–1876) and brother Charles Willoughby Kilmer (1880–1880), died before his birth. Kilmer's older, surviving brother, Anda Frederick Kilmer (1873–1899), died when Joyce was thirteen years old—most likely a suicide—in a Philadelphia hotel.</ref> of Annie Ellen Kilburn (1849–1932), a minor writer and composer,<ref name="PoetryMagazineBio"/><ref>"Mrs. F. B. Kilmer Dead; Mother of War Poet. Wrote of Memories of Her Son Who Was Killed in France in 1918. Was Native of Albany." ''The New York Times.'' January 2, 1932. (Retrieved August 14, 2012).</ref> and Dr. [[Frederick Barnett Kilmer]] (1851–1934), a physician and analytical chemist employed by the [[Johnson & Johnson|Johnson and Johnson Company]] and inventor of the company's [[baby powder]].<ref name=Miriam>[http://www.risingdove.com/Kilmer/FAQ.asp Joyce Kilmer: FAQ and Fancies], website published by Miriam A. Kilmer, with Kilmer genealogical information. Retrieved December 26, 2006.</ref><ref>For Dr. Kilmer as the inventor of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder, see: Reuter, Annie. "Famous Tree Poem originates at U." ''The Daily Targum'' October 12, 2004.</ref><ref>See also Johnson & Johnson's [http://www.jnj.com/connect/about-jnj/company-history/founders/ Our History: People who made a difference] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081115234705/http://www.jnj.com/connect/about-jnj/company-history/founders/ |date=November 15, 2008 }}. (Retrieved August 14, 2012).</ref> He was named Alfred Joyce Kilmer after two priests at [[Christ Church (New Brunswick, New Jersey)|Christ Church]] in New Brunswick: Alfred R. Taylor, the curate; and the Rev. Dr. Elisha Brooks Joyce (1857–1926), the rector. Christ Church is the oldest [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal]] parish in New Brunswick and the Kilmer family were parishioners.<ref>Durnin, Richard G. "Joyce Kilmer and New Brunswick, New Jersey." (New Brunswick, NJ: Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission, 1993).</ref> Rector Joyce, who served the parish from 1883 to 1916, baptised the young Kilmer,<ref>Baptismal Records for Christ Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey.</ref> who remained an Episcopalian until his 1913 conversion to Catholicism. Kilmer's birthplace in New Brunswick, where the Kilmer family lived from 1886 to 1892, is still standing and houses a small museum to Kilmer, as well as a few [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]] government offices.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newbrunswick.com/historic.asp#jk |title=Historic New Brunswick |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310054802/http://www.newbrunswick.com/historic.asp |archive-date=March 10, 2007}}, published by New Brunswick City Market, (no further authorship information given) Retrieved August 17, 2006.</ref>

Kilmer entered Rutgers College Grammar School (now [[Rutgers Preparatory School]]) in 1895 at the age of 8. During his years at the Grammar School, Kilmer was editor-in-chief of the school's paper, the ''Argo'', and loved the classics but had difficulty with Greek. He won the first Lane Classical Prize, for oratory, and obtained a scholarship to Rutgers College which he would attend the following year. Despite his difficulties with Greek and mathematics, he stood at the head of his class in preparatory school.<ref name="Hillis" />{{rp|p.9}}

After graduating from Rutgers College Grammar School in 1904, he continued his education at [[Rutgers University|Rutgers College]] (now Rutgers University) from 1904 to 1906. At Rutgers, Kilmer was associate editor of the ''[[The Daily Targum|Targum]]'', the [[college newspaper|campus newspaper]], and a member of the [[Delta Upsilon]] fraternity.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oE1AAAAAIAAJ&q=fraternity|title=Memories of My Son Sergeant Joyce Kilmer|first=Annie|last=Kilburn Kilmer|publisher=Brentano's|year=1920|page=3|access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref> However, he was unable to complete the curriculum's rigorous mathematics requirement and was asked to repeat his sophomore year. Under pressure from his mother, Kilmer transferred to [[Columbia University]] in New York City.<ref name="Hillis" />{{rp|p.10}}

At Columbia, Kilmer was vice-president of the [[Philolexian Society]] (a literary society), associate editor of ''[[Columbia Spectator]]'' (the campus newspaper), and member of the Debating Union. He completed his [[Bachelor of Arts]] (A.B.) degree and graduated from Columbia on May 23, 1908.<ref name="Hillis" />{{rp|p.11}} Shortly after graduation, on June 9, 1908, he married [[Aline Murray Kilmer|Aline Murray]] (1888–1941), a fellow poet to whom he had been engaged since his sophomore year at Rutgers.<ref name="Hillis" />{{rp|p.11}}<ref>Certificate of Marriage for Aline Murray and Alfred Joyce Kilmer, June 9, 1908, on microfilm at the Archives of the State of New Jersey, 225 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey.</ref> The Kilmers had five children: Kenton Sinclair Kilmer (1909–1995); Rose Kilburn Kilmer (1912–1917); Deborah Clanton Kilmer (1914–1999), who became a nun ("Sister Michael") at the [[Saint Benedict's Monastery (St. Joseph, Minnesota)|Saint Benedict Monastery, St. Joseph, Minnesota]]; Michael Barry Kilmer (1916–1927); and Christopher Kilmer (1917–1984).<ref name=Miriam/>