University of Missouri–Kansas City

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

University of Missouri–Kansas City
UMKC logo University of Missouri seal
Established: 1933[1]
Type: state university
Chancellor: Dr. Guy H. Bailey
Provost: Dr. Gail Hackett
Faculty: 2,126[2]
Staff: 1,810 (Spring 2007)
Students: 14,226 (Spring 2007)
Undergraduates: 9,363
Postgraduates: 4,863
Location: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Campus: Urban, 157 acres (0.25 sq mi) (0.64 sq km)
Colors: Blue and gold
Nickname: Kangaroos
Mascot: Kasey the Kangaroo
Athletics: NCAA Division I, The Summit League
Website: www.umkc.edu

The University of Missouri–Kansas City (often referred to as UMKC) is an institution of higher learning located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Its main campus is in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood east of the Country Club Plaza. It is a part of the University of Missouri System.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Lincoln and Lee University

The school has its roots in the Lincoln and Lee University movement first put forth by the Methodist Church and its Bishop Ernest Lynn Waldorf in the 1920s. The proposed university (which was to honor Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee) was to be built on the Missouri-Kansas border at 75th and State Line Road, where the Battle of Westport (the largest battle west of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War) took place. The centerpiece of the school was to be a National Memorial marking the tomb of an unknown Union soldier and unknown Confederate soldier. Proponents of the school said it would be a location "where North met South and East met West."

As the Methodists started having problems piecing together the necessary property, other civic leaders including J.C. Nichols began pushing to create a cultural center on either side of Brush Creek, just east of the Country Club Plaza. According to this plan the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Kansas City Art Institute would be built north of Brush Creek around the estate of The Kansas City Star publisher William Rockhill Nelson and a private nonsectarian University of Kansas City (initially proposed as a junior college) would be built south of the creek. In addition, a hospital would be constructed around the estate of Kansas City Journal-Post publisher Walter S. Dickey.

In 1930, after the Methodists had brought the Kansas City Dental School into their fold, the two plans were merged. The new school was to be called "Lincoln and Lee, the University of Kansas City." [3] and plans were underway to develop it into a four-year school.

The university was built on a 40 acre plot, southeast of the Nelson mansion. William Volker had purchased and donated this land for the University of Kansas City. The original Volker purchase did not include the Dickey mansion itself. Dickey died unexpectedly in 1931 and Volker acquired it to be the first building.

[edit] University of Kansas City

The two groups were to squabble back and forth, with Ernest H. Newcomb attempting to mediate. The Church did not maintain its ties and the Lincoln and Lee name was abandoned.

The school announced that it would start if 125 students enrolled. Classes began in October of 1933 with a faculty of 17 and a student enrollment of 264.

The campus (now expanded to 90 acres) is called the Volker Campus. The Dickey mansion is now Scofield Hall. The second building on the campus, the library, was named for Newcomb. A Carl Milles fountain on Brush Creek opposite the Nelson Gallery is called the Volker Fountain.

The University of Kansas City grew quickly, and soon incorporated other existing local private institutions of higher learning. The Kansas City School of Law, which was founded in the 1890s and located in downtown Kansas City, merged into the university in 1938. The Kansas City-Western Dental College followed in 1941 and the Kansas City College of Pharmacy merged in 1943. This was followed by the Kansas City Conservatory of Music in 1959. During this period, the university also established the School of Administration in 1953, the School of Education in 1954, and the Division for Continuing Education in 1958.

[edit] University of Missouri-Kansas City

On July 25, 1963, the university became part of the University of Missouri System and $20 million of assets including 23 buildings were transferred to the University of Missouri. At the time of the acquisition the UKC had 3,300 students (2,000 full time) and 175 full time faculty.[4]

At the same time the University of Missouri acquired the Normandy Residence Center in St. Louis to form the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The acquisitions of the two schools were different in that the privately-owned University of Kansas City could be donated to Missouri while the University of Missouri had to buy the St. Louis campus (although for a nominal $60,000) because the St. Louis campus had been purchased for a junior college in a bond election by the public Normandy, Missouri School District.

At the time of acquisition Missouri already owned the campuses in Columbia and Rolla. Accordingly, the university's name was changed to the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

After this, UMKC established the School of Graduate Studies in 1964, the School of Medicine in 1970, the School of Nursing in 1980, the School of Basic Life Sciences in 1985 (which was renamed the School of Biological Sciences in the mid-1990s), and the School of Computing and Engineering in 2001.

By 2007, its active enrollment had grown to over 14,000 students.

[edit] Academics

University of Missouri–Kansas City main campus: view of walkway toward the Student Union.
University of Missouri–Kansas City main campus: view of walkway toward the Student Union.

[edit] Academic units

Today, the academic divisions of UMKC are the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, the School of Nursing, the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration, the School of Medicine (one of six in Missouri), the School of Law (also one of only four in Missouri), the School of Computing and Engineering, the School of Biological Sciences, the Conservatory of Music and Dance, the School of Dentistry, the School of Graduate Studies, and the School of Pharmacy.

The School of Medicine is regionally known for its six-year post-secondary program, wherein a student spends only six years obtaining both a Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine degree. The school is located away from the main campus on "Hospital Hill," where it is connected to Truman Medical Center, a large research hospital.

The School of Law produces more future judges than any other law school in Missouri, according to local business publication Ingram's Magazine. In addition, the law school is known for having the highest passage rate on the Missouri bar exam of any of the state's four law schools. The school is one of only six American law schools, along with Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the University of Cincinnati College of Law, to have produced both a President of the United States (Harry S. Truman) and a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (Charles Evans Whittaker).

[edit] Other Departments

The University is the home of New Letters, a preeminent literary magazine, as well as the nationally syndicated public radio program New Letters on the Air. For over 50 years, UMKC has broadcast live, taped and syndicated programming over KCUR, the university's radio station and NPR affiliate.

In 2004 the Fungal Genetics Stock Center moved to UMKC where it is in the School of Biological Sciences. The FGSC was founded in 1960 and distributes research materials to over 45 countries. It is part of several genome programs and publishes the peer-reviewed journal, the Fungal Genetics Newsletter

The University's MFA Theater program is considered to be one of the better MFA programs in the country. It is quite well respected in the theatrical community.

[edit] Notable faculty

Notable faculty, past and present, include:

[edit] The Campus

Most of UMKC's main campus is inside a square formed by Volker Blvd (north), Oak Street (west), 53rd Street (south) and Troost (east). Directly across Troost from UMKC is Rockhurst University, a Jesuit college.

[edit] The Quad

The majority of UMKC's students regularly attend classes in buildings on the Quad. These buildings are Newcomb Hall, Manheim Hall, Royall Hall, Haag Hall, Flarsheim Hall and Scofield Hall.

[edit] Newcomb Hall

Newcomb Hall (built in 1936) was named after the first manager of the University, Ernest H. Newcomb. Originally designed to house the library, Newcomb Hall is now home to offices, the University Archives, the Western Historical Manuscript Collection and the Edgar Snow Collections. Newcomb Hall is located on the extreme west edge of the quad.[5]

[edit] Manheim Hall

Manheim Hall, along with Newcomb Hall were the first two buildings originally built for the University. Currently, Manheim Hall houses classrooms and offices. It is connected to Royall Hall by a second-floor walkway. Manheim is located on the southwest corner of the Quad.[6]

[edit] Royall Hall

Royall Hall was built in 1968 and is almost exclusively classrooms. Two large lecture halls are on the ground floor, and an astronomical observatory is on the roof. Also on the ground floor is a lounge area with an Einstein Bros. Bagels. Royall Hall is connected to both Manheim and Haag Halls, and to a five-level parking structure across the street. Royall Hall is located on the south end of the Quad. [1]

[edit] Haag Hall

Haag Hall (pronounced Hāg), built in 1937, contains offices and classrooms. Its most recognizable features are the large murals stretching along the main stairwell. Haag Hall is connected to both Royall and Flarsheim Halls. Haag Hall is located on the southeast corner of the Quad. [2]

[edit] Flarsheim Hall

Flarsheim Hall was built in 1999, and is the largest building on UMKC's campus. The Chemistry, Physics and Geosciences departments, as well as the School of Computing and Engineering, are located in Flarsheim Hall. The hall was named after Robert A. Flarsheim, who left a $9 million endowment to the University in his estate. Flarsheim Hall is located on the northeast corner of the Quad. [3]

[edit] Scofield Hall

Scofield Hall was built in 1912, and was originally a private residence. In 1931, William Volker acquired it and donated it to the University. It was named after Carleton Scofield, who was chancellor of the University when it merged with the University of Missouri System. The Arts & Sciences advising office and the Language Resource Center are located in Scofield Hall. Scofield Hall is located on the north end of the Quad.[7]

[edit] Student Housing

[edit] Oak Street Hall

Completed in 2004, Oak Street Hall (located at 5051 Oak Street) is the newer of UMKC's two residence halls. The five-story building houses approximately 561 students in suite-style single and double rooms. The ground level is a large common lobby with a kitchen, laundry facility, music practice rooms, pool tables and a widescreen television set. On floors 2-5, kitchenettes, vending machines, quiet study rooms and social lounges comprise the common areas. The Oak Street hall, being the youngest building on the Volker Campus, has been set as the standard for buildings to come in the 30 year plan set by the UMKC.

[edit] Cherry Hall

Begun in 1955, the Cherry Street Hall (located at 5030 Cherry Street) is the more traditional-style dormitory at UMKC. Housing approximately 300 students in 168 single, double and triple rooms, Cherry Street Hall is often regarded by students as having better opportunities for social interaction than Oak Street.

[edit] Twin Oaks Apartments / Oak Street West

Located at 5000 Oak Street, Twin Oaks Apartments was acquired by the University in 1998 to house students who desired more independent living than the dormitory could provide. In the years since, however, the buildings had begun to show their ages. In 2005, the University decided it would be more cost-effective to demolish Twin Oaks and build a new residence hall in its place. UMKC stopped offering new contracts to prospective residents that year, but allowed current residents an additional year as a grace period to find other arrangements. The buildings were completely vacant by July 2006. In September 2006, the Kansas City Fire Department used Twin Oaks to train firefighters. Demolition by wrecking ball began in November 2006, and the new dormitory, Oak Place, is scheduled to open in Fall 2008. The new residence hall will house up to 500 students in apartment-style and townhome-style accommodations. The facility will also include retail space and a parking garage.

[edit] University Center / University Breezeway

[edit] University Center

The University Center (known to students and alumni as the "U-Center") was built in 1961, and houses the cafeteria, bookstore, student life office and campus information center. Also, Pierson Auditorium, often used for career fairs or luncheons, is housed in University Center.[8]

[edit] Swinney Recreation Center

Swinney Recreation Center was built in 1941, and was gifted to the University by E. F. Swinney. There are five basketball courts, and Olympic-sized swimming pool, raquetball and squash courts, weight-training center, soccer field, and indoor and outdoor tracks at the recreation center. University students, faculty and staff have privileges at Swinney, and paid memberships are open to others.[9]

[edit] Fine Arts Building

The Fine Arts Building was built in 1942 and remodeled in 1975. Currently, the Art, Art History, and Communication Studies departments use the building. Student works are often displayed in the building's UMKC Gallery of Art.[10]

[edit] Athletics

Main article: UMKC Kangaroos

UMKC's mascot is Kasey Kangaroo (originally drawn by Walt Disney) and its teams go by the nickname the Kangaroos. The school's colors are old gold and royal blue. It is a member of the NCAA's Division I The Summit League. The men's basketball team plays at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium arena. UMKC sponsors 14 sports for both men and women at the intercollegiate level.

[edit] Distinguished alumni

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.umkc.edu/aboutumkc/brief_history.asp
  2. ^ http://www.umkc.edu/aboutumkc/by_the_numbers.pdf
  3. ^ Link Names for Schools - The Kansas City Star - December 16, 1930 - Page 1
  4. ^ K.C.U., M.U. Plan a Merger - Kansas City Times - February 26, 1963
  5. ^ Newcomb Hall
  6. ^ Manheim Hall
  7. ^ Scofield Hall
  8. ^ University Center
  9. ^ Swinney Recreation Center
  10. ^ Fine Arts Building
v • d • e
Public Colleges and Universities in Missouri
4-Year Universities
2-Year Colleges
v • d • e
The Summit League
Members
Affiliates
Eastern Illinois (swimming and diving)