Cockefair Hall

Now home to the Department of English and the Department of History at UMKC, this campus building was completed in 1950 and served as the original home of the University of Kansas City Law School. Construction on the building began in the early 1940s, an effort that was placed on pause following the outbreak of World War II. In 1979, UMKC's School of Law moved to a larger modern facility, and this building was converted to classroom and office space for the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1980, the building was renamed Cockefair Hall in honor of Carolyn Benton Cockefair, an assistant professor of English in the 1940s and 1950s

Construction of this building was put on hold during World War II and the building was not completed until 1950 when served as the first home of the University of Kansas City's law school. The law school was also the university's first professional school, as the School of Medicine followed in later years. The building also held the law school's library of around 50,000 texts, as well as a mock courtroom. In response to the program's growth, the School of Law and its library moved to another building at 52nd and Oak Streets in 1979, where they both remain to this day.

The building's current name honors Carolyn Benton Cockefair, an instructor in the Department of English who was highly regarded throughout the university and community. Working for the university throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Mrs. Cockefair made a reputation as a talented teacher and provocative lecturer. Through her work in the Great Books Program, which was founded by Dr. Royall, Mrs. Cockefair became a favorite of students in the continuing education program and gained a following of non-traditional students, most women between the ages of 35 and 55, who dubbed themselves "the Cockefair Ladies." Carolyn Cockefair was also recognized for her ability to bring fictional characters to life by comparing them to more contemporary subjects or asking thought-provoking questions about them:

“Can an evil book do evil to a judicious mind? Can a fool become wiser with a good book? Is virtue of less value to society if it is untempted?” These questions and her controversial comments paved the way for the lively conversations that filled her classroom time.

Mrs. Cockefair retired from teaching in 1964 at the age of 80, following a career that had spanned six decades. She chose that year for her retirement because it corresponded with the 400th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare. Cockefair passed away just a few years later, in 1969. Eleven years later, largely through the influence of former students and community members who appreciated her effort to reach audiences beyond the traditional college student, his building was named in her honor. Cockefair's legacy also continues with the Cockefair Chair, a combination of lecture series and continuing education courses. Today Cockefair Hall houses the English and History Departments along with several classrooms.

Wolff, Christopher. A Pearl of Great Value: The History of UMKC, Kansas City’s University. Kansas City, Missouri. UMKC Alumni Association, 2016.

History – Carolyn Benton Cockefair - The Life of Carolyn Benton Cockefair, UMKC - Cockefair Chair. Accessed September 23rd, 2022. https://info.umkc.edu/cockefair/about/history-carolyn-benton-cockefair/.

Campus History: Cockefair Hall, KC Roo News. November 15th, 2010. Accessed September 24th, 2022. https://kcroonews.com/campus-history-cockefair-hall/.