Manheim Hall

Manheim Hall became the second building on the campus of the University of Kansas City when it was completed in 1935, just two years after the first courses were held in the former mansion known today as Scofield Hall. This building was also a gift from the university's leading founder, philanthropist William Volker, and met the needs of the rapidly-growing university by offering laboratory and classroom space. Initially called the Science Building, this structure became the home to KCU's departments of chemistry, biology, geology, physics, and home economics. In 1999, the Science Building was renamed Manheim Hall in honor of sociology professor Ernest Manheim.

When the University of Kansas City opened its doors in 1933, there was only one building on the entire campus: Dickey Mansion, which was later renamed Scofield Hall. This significantly limited school capacity, forcing the university to stop admittance at 260 students since that was the number that could safely fit in their only building. In response to a growing student body, as well as increasing demand for science facilities, Kansas City philanthropist William Volker donated $100,000 for the construction of UMK's new Science Building in 1935. At first it housed the departments of Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Physics, and Home Economics, but over the next decade, the Chemistry, Biology, and Physics departments all moved to other new buildings.

In 1940, a fountain was installed in front of the building as a gift of the school's second graduating class. Kansas City Art Institute instructor Walter Wallace Rosenbauer sculpted the three nude statues surrounding the fountain, which were called the Three Graces. In 1973 the fountain was removed, and the statues were put into storage. Today, the statues are considered lost - literally, as recent searches in storage were unable to find them. However, it is likely they are still in storage somewhere and were just overlooked since they are small and were wrapped up in padding.

In 1999 the building was renamed to honor Professor of Sociology Ernest Manheim. Manheim, who was born in Budapest, studied sociology in Germany. After receiving his two PhDs there and spending a year at the University of Chicago, he came to the University of Kansas City in 1938, where he spent the remainder of his career. Becoming a renowned sociologist, Manheim was called upon during by the city government World War II to tackle issues coming from "fathers at war, mothers at work, and children on the streets." He also testified during the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education on behalf of the Brown family at the request of Hugh Speer, the dean of eduction at the university. Manheim was also a recognized composer and wrote an award-winning symphony in the early 1950s, which was performed by the Kansas City Philharmonic.

When the building was renamed in his honor, Manheim was praised for being a "true Renaissance Man, well-recognized and respected in Sociology, but [also] a well-regarded historian, writer and composer,” according to Tonya Crawford, UMKC's former senior archives specialist. The University of Kansas held an international symposium when he had his 100th birthday in 2000. Manheim passed away in 2002.

Campus History: Manheim Hall, KC Roo News. September 20th, 2010. Accessed September 9th, 2022. https://kcroonews.com/campus-history-manheim-hall/.

Manheim, Ernst [sic], 1900-2002, Special Collections and Archives Finding Aids. Accessed September 9th, 2022. https://finding-aids.library.umkc.edu/agents/people/461.

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

Ernest Manheim, 102, Was Professor, Composer, Vineyard Gazette. August 1st, 2002. Accessed September 9th, 2022. https://vineyardgazette.com/obituaries/2002/08/02/ernest-manheim-102-was-professor-composer.

Ernest Manheim: Sociologist, Anthropologist, and Composer Turns 102, The Bulletin of the Society for American Music. September 1st, 2002. Accessed September 9th, 2022. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.american-music.org/resource/resmgr/docs/bulletin/vol283.pdf.

Lost Art of UMKC, UMKC Today Archives. June 25th, 2010. Accessed September 9th, 2022. https://info.umkc.edu/news/lost-art-of-umkc/.