The Life of Carolyn Benton Cockefair

The Cockefair Chair has had a significant impact on the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the greater Kansas City community. Through its sponsorship of a wide variety of cultural endeavors, the Chair has touched the lives of thousands of people and, over the years, has built a well-deserved reputation for excellence.

But there was a real person attached to the unique name, and she was too extraordinary to be forgotten. After all, Carolyn Benton Cockefair was so adored by her students that they established a university chair in her honor and managed to finance its activities year after year through their own fundraising efforts. What qualities did Mrs. Cockefair possess that made her such a talented, inspirational teacher?

She was, first and foremost, an unorthodox teacher. Some say she was one of the greatest who ever lived. Her fans emphasize her ability to ignite heated discussions on broad philosophical questions and to breathe life into great literature by relating it to contemporary problems.

Mrs. Cockefair viewed herself as a Child of the Enlightenment. She thought it her duty, as an educated woman, to pass on her love for literature and for the arts. She did not care so much about how much specific information her students acquired, but whether or not they were inspired when they left her classroom to go out and do the things that “educated” people do: participate in cultural activities, read good books and challenge conventional beliefs.

Cockefair’s methodology was controversial, but she undeniably inspired her students. Her greatest success was with the older, mostly women students who flocked to her continuing education courses. These students, who called themselves the “Cockefair Ladies,” adored their teacher and considered her a loyal friend.

They recalled the times she was there when they needed her, and the way she encouraged them to set new goals. They also remembered her as a charismatic lady with a penchant for flashy hats and shoes, as well as abominable driving habits. The latter apparently was a result of her passion for engaging in lively conversation wherever she was. Her students learned to circumvent the problem by volunteering to drive.

She was born Carolyn Belle Benton on November 30, 1884, near Odessa, Missouri, a small farming community east of Kansas City. Carolyn was the fifth child of Richard Higgins Benton and Alice Johnson Benton. Carolyn’s family claimed some relation to the famous Missouri painter, Thomas Hart Benton, but Carolyn always was quick to point out that she had the good fortune to be born into the better branch of the family.

Her father was a former Confederate soldier who settled near Odessa after the Civil War. He established a successful farming business, and later served as a judge of the county court. Both of Carolyn’s parents were more oriented toward cultural and academic affairs than most of their neighbors. This emphasis on knowledge was not lost on Carolyn. She quickly learned to appreciate the joys of reading and learning about a myriad of subjects.

When Carolyn was sixteen years old the family moved to Kansas City, and she spent her junior year at Central High School. Carolyn thrived on the intellectual opportunities in the city, but her father preferred life on the farm. So, at the end of the 1900-01 school year, the family returned to Odessa.

When September rolled around, the inevitable problem of proper schooling arose again. Carolyn had hoped to spend her senior year of high school in Kansas City, but her parents did not want to leave Odessa. Carolyn’s older sister, Hattie, came to her rescue. Hattie had planned a fall wedding with a Kansas Citian, J.W. Stanwood; but she postponed her marriage for a year and served as her little sister’s guardian so Carolyn could spend her senior year in Kansas City.

During that year the two sisters spent a great deal of time at plays, galleries, concerts and other cultural events. Carolyn made a great effort to absorb and enjoy all of the culture Kansas City could offer. The experience left her with an enduring love for art, drama and literature, and a fondness for Kansas City that stayed with her for the rest of her life.

After graduating from Central High School in 1902 with honorable mention, Carolyn went home to Odessa and got a job teaching at Thorp School. When the six month term was nearing an end, Carolyn’s mother decided to enroll her daughter in Christian College in Columbia to “finish” her education. To their amazement, however, Christian College offered only a handful of “finishing” courses which Carolyn had not taken already in high school.

As a result, it was decided that Carolyn should stay in Columbia and enroll instead at the University of Missouri. This was rather a bold step for an Odessa farm girl. At the turn of the century there were fewer than 300 women enrolled in the University of Missouri.

Carolyn Benton fully expected to go back to Odessa at the end of the spring semester, but her return trip was delayed repeatedly by Mother Nature. The Missouri River embarked on one of its worst rampages, frequently washing away or threatening the safety of bridges between Columbia and Odessa. Frustrated in her attempts to get home, Carolyn decided that she might as well enroll for the summer session. She did return home in the fall, but attended the University of Missouri again the next two summers. During the regular school terms she taught in Wellington, Missouri.

In 1905 Carolyn decided to see a bit of the world, so she accepted a teaching position in Roswell, New Mexico. This was a memorable experience and Carolyn especially enjoyed the warm climate and the many new friends she made. Her teaching experience, however, was not totally satisfactory, and she left after one year.

Carolyn was determined to go back to the University of Missouri full-time and finish her degree. She paid her own way by taking out a loan (which she repaid within one year after graduation) and by teaching Latin at the University High School. Carolyn had planned to major in Latin and Greek, but fell under the spell of her mentor, Dr. Arthur Henry R. Fairchilds of the English department. She switched her major to English.

In January of 1908 Carolyn completed her B.S. in Education and in June she received her A.B. in English. Dr. Fairchilds had recognized Carolyn’s tremendous talents as a teacher and encouraged her to work toward a Master’s in English while she was completing her Bachelor’s degree. As a result, she completed her M.A. in August of the same year.

Upon graduation, Carolyn needed a full-time job. With the assistance of Dr. Fairchilds she landed a position at the University High School as “Vice Principal, Dean of Women, and Model Teacher of English.“ This rather pretentious title may have made an impression on Carolyn at the time, but in later years she dismissed it with, “I have often observed that the more inconsequential the job, the longer the string of titles.”

Carolyn stayed in this position for three years before quitting in 1910 to visit Europe and then marry William Raymond (Billy Ray) Cockefair, a fellow University of Missouri graduate. When Carolyn left Columbia to marry a farmer in Warrensburg, Missouri, she assumed that her professional life was over. She already had acquired much more education and work experience than was common for a middle class woman in the early twentieth century. For her to contemplate continuing the academic life after marriage was almost unheard of.

In her first twelve years of married life, Carolyn Benton Cockefair tried to adjust to the traditional role of a young farm wife, devoting her time to helping Billy Ray and rearing two daughters and a son. But for Carolyn Cockefair, being a homemaker and mother was not enough. She longed for the intellectual stimulation that only a classroom could provide.

That opportunity arose in 1922 when Professor W.W. Parker of Central Missouri State Teachers College in Warrensburg asked her to substitute while one of their teachers recuperated from an accident. Professor Parker was pleased with Carolyn’s work and offered her a summer school teaching job. Carolyn accepted and taught in 1922 and for the next few summers.

Mrs. Cockefair enjoyed teaching again; but, unfortunately, her time at Central Missouri State ended. When news of her employment reached other educated married women in the community, many of them also applied for summer jobs with the college. According to Mrs. Cockefair, the Board passed a rule abolishing the employment of married women as a simple way of handling the deluge of applications.

She later remembered this brush with sexual discrimination as one of the bitterest experiences of her life. She was casting about for some form of redress when a letter came inviting her to teach for the University of Missouri Extension Service.

Carolyn Cockefair accepted the University of Missouri’s offer and conducted courses in their Extension Division for eighteen years. These courses took her to many towns in western Missouri, including Kansas City, Marshall, Jefferson City, Harrisonville, Boonville and Sedalia.

It was during this period that she began what soon became her forte—teaching non-traditional students. Mrs. Cockefair’s emphasis on discussion rather than formal lectures and her style and personality made her very popular with her students. Because they enjoyed her classes so much, many of them asked if their mothers could visit their class. As word spread among the older students, more of them flocked to hear Mrs. Cockefair.

In 1937, Dr. George W. Diemer became President of Central Missouri State Teachers College and offered Mrs. Cockefair a job as Assistant Director of Field Services. She accepted the position and remained with Central Missouri State for seven years, in the winter working as an extension teacher and book reviewer and in the summer teaching English on the Warrensburg campus.

Mrs. Cockefair continued to teach some courses for the University of Missouri Extension Service during this period, but the majority of her work was with the Central Missouri State Extension Program. The popularity she enjoyed in the University courses carried over to her new role with Central Missouri State. Carolyn Cockefair undeniably had a phenomenal ability to attract people who desired education for education’s sake.

As Mrs. Cockefair’s reputation as a provocative lecturer spread, she was inundated with invitations to address the American Association of University Women, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the League of Women Voters and other organizations. She gave talks to branches in St. Joseph, Kansas City, Springfield, Joplin, St. Louis and countless smaller communities. Invitations to present book reviews also poured in; and at one time, Mrs. Cockefair presented as many as 50 per month.

Her busy schedule found her spending a significant amount of time on the road. The children were grown by now and, although Billy Ray did not like for his wife to be away so much, he accepted the situation and took great pains to make sure that Carolyn’s car was in tip-top condition before major excursions. One day he went so far as to telephone the Missouri state highway patrol and have them track down his wife. The patrolman’s message? “Mrs. Cuckleburg (sic), you’re almost out of gas.” Billy Ray had forgotten to fill the tank before she left.

Although Mrs. Cockefair enjoyed teaching at Central Missouri State, she never felt accepted as a legitimate member of the English department. This status bothered her, so she was thrilled when she received an offer from her lifelong friend, Dr. Fairchilds, to come back to Columbia as a visiting professor.

In 1943 the University of Missouri called on former graduate students such as Carolyn Benton Cockefair to fill the shortage of teachers created by World War II. At this time Billy Ray was working for the Farm Securities Administration, and had no trouble transferring to Columbia so his wife could take the job. Consequently, the Cockefairs left Warrensburg, their home of 32 years, and moved to Columbia.

Mrs. Cockefair taught at the University of Missouri in Columbia from 1943 through 1946. Two major factors combined to make this experience so delightful. First, she had the opportunity to renew many old friendships from her earlier days at Columbia; and, secondly, her classes were filled with young trainees and veterans. She found these young men mature and eager to learn about her beloved Shakespeare and Greek literature.

Her favorite example of their enthusiasm was the class project of one group of young veterans. They staged an elaborate production of a Greek play, complete with togas and columns, on the steps of Jesse Hall.

Mrs. Cockefair compared her years teaching young G.I.s at Mizzou with the one school year she spent teaching young ladies at Stephens College in Columbia. She much preferred Mizzou’s G.I.s and older students.

In 1947, her friend, Dr. Norman Royall, Dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas City, offered her a position as an English instructor. Mrs. Cockefair had long dreamed of returning to Kansas City, so she accepted the offer. Not everyone at the University of Kansas City shared Royall’s enthusiasm for hiring Cockefair. There had been opposition to her appointment, based primarily on her lack of a Ph.D. and her age. (When Royall extended his offer, Carolyn Benton Cockefair was already 63 years old, and age at which most people think about retirement, not career moves.)

Royall and other supporters won out, and Mrs. Cockefair was given the opportunity to fulfill her dream of teaching permanently in Kansas City. The dream was worth waiting for, because it was in Kansas City that she experienced her greatest triumphs as a teacher.

One of her earliest successes at UKC was working with the Great Books Program, founded by Royall. Through this program and her continuing education courses, Mrs. Cockefair developed a loyal following of non-traditional students, known affectionately as “the Cockefair Ladies.”

Most of these students were well-to-do, non-working women between 35 and 55. Many had children who had just left home, so they were looking for a constructive, challenging use of their time. They found it with Mrs. Cockefair. Once the majority of these women participated in the Great Books Program or took one of her continuing education courses, they stayed involved.

Carolyn Cockefair had always been a successful teacher, but she was most effective with these students. Several reasons accounted for her popularity with this group. First of all, Mrs. Cockefair had an uncanny ability to bring new life to classic literature by comparing characters and events to contemporary subjects. When one of her classes studied Gone with the Wind, Mrs. Cockefair compared a character to the “opportunist, scheming, materialistic woman who lives down the street from you.” A more vivid description of Scarlett O’Hara is hard to come by.

The story of Antony and Cleopatra reminded her of Edward VIII’s abdication of the throne of England to marry Wallis Simpson. According to Mrs. Cockefair, both Antony and Edward should have stuck to their respective jobs.

Mrs. Cockefair’s method of comparing classic works with contemporary people and events was a little unorthodox but generally produced the intended effect. Through analogies, she breathed life into these stories by making the characters seem like real people with problems to which the students could relate. Her method usually achieved this goal, especially with more experienced students.

One other important teaching goal was achieved by the comparative approach. Mrs. Cockefair’s comments sparked frequent debates that might disrupt the flow of a traditional lecture course; but she depended on these discussions as part of her course content.

Mrs. Cockefair’s encouragement of “off the subject” debate distinguished her from the mainstream instructors at UKC, and illustrated an important aspect her teaching philosophy. She thought there was more to teaching than simply imparting information. Her goals were loftier. She wanted to open her students’ minds to new thoughts, and to develop in them an appreciation for culture and learning that would stay with them.

With her emphasis on exciting students and opening their minds, she used Shakespeare and other great authors as tools to introduce students to a new world of ideas. Specific details of the literature took a back seat to the larger concepts. Virtually no comment was considered “off the subject” when the subject was so broadly defined. For Mrs. Cockefair, the classroom was a place to question major concepts—she flowed with big ideas. “There is fun to be had in grappling with an idea, and intellectual fun is the most stimulating of all.”

Carolyn Cockefair started each class with a list of probing questions, the more ambiguous the better. “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 thought the lecture method bored students and took them out of the learning process. Lectures might impart information, but she found that her discourses failed to stimulate students as much as her questions and dialogue. She referred to her approach as the “Socratic Method,” though in some ways she was more opinionated than perhaps Socrates had intended.

While Mrs. Cockefair’s style may not have been exactly what Socrates had in mind, it worked. In fact, it may have worked better – her off-the-cuff remarks often sparked livelier interaction than the specific issues at hand. Older students in the non-credit, continuing education courses were especially appreciative of Mrs. Cockefair’s emphasis on discussion. They welcomed the opportunity to interject their own ideas and interpretations and relate their own experiences.

Many of Mrs. Cockefair’s younger students also enjoyed the emphasis on discussion; but since they were enrolled for credit, they had to pay more attention to details and interpretations of literature. The others, freed from worrying about taking extensive notes, enjoyed her style immensely.

Over a semester, Mrs. Cockefair’s students would become aware of most of her personal opinions. According to her friend and successor, Miss Susan McClelland, “She saw expressing opinions as sort of a duty. If she was against something she was against it, and if she was for it she was for it.”

The question of, “Who was Carolyn Benton Cockefair?” is almost as unanswerable as the rhetorical questions she tossed out in the classroom. Carolyn Benton Cockefair was a paradox. She was a great teacher who preached free thinking

and flexibility and didn’t seem to care if people liked her; yet she was well-liked and was blessed with numerous close friends.

She possessed one trait to which all teachers aspire but few achieve: the ability to inspire. Without her, many of the “Cockefair Ladies” never would have had the confidence to continue their education. Many had gone to college years before, but abandoned their intellectual pursuits to marry and raise families. Mrs. Cockefair was a feminist role model for them, although she would not have called herself a feminist because she disliked labels.

She rekindled their interest in classical literature and a range of other cultural pursuits. She had an idea of what an educated woman should be, and she instilled it in her followers. Some of her students were so inspired that they finished undergraduate degrees shelved years earlier, or pursued graduate studies. Others confined their formal study to the non-credit continuing education courses and reading programs, enrolling in these courses for decades.

Carolyn Cockefair’s ability to inspire students to continue their studies, to appreciate culture more fully, and to genuinely enjoy all kinds of literature was intimidating to other instructors. Most teachers, even the very good ones, would be content if their students ever read another book in their subject area. Mrs. Cockefair’s students not only continued to read and enjoy the literature they had studied under their mentor, but they wanted the rest of Kansas City to recognize and enjoy her as well.

This desire to honor and publicize their favorite teacher led her students to establish the Cockefair Chair at the University of Kansas City. Mrs. Cockefair was honored greatly by this expression of love and appreciation, and she participated in the Chair’s activities for as long as she was able.

She retired from teaching in 1964 at the age of 80, completing a distinguished career which spanned six decades. This particular year was chosen because she felt she was getting too old to be an effective teacher, and because it coincided with the 400th anniversary of her beloved Shakespeare’s birth. Although she formally retired in 1964, Mrs. Cockefair taught continuing ed courses until her health prevented it. On November 30, 1969, she passed away at the age of 85.

Carolyn Benton Cockefair was not a saint, plagued as she was by the same shortcomings with which all people contend. She did not merit deification, but she was a success. The intellectual focus of the Cockefair Chair can be traced back to Carolyn Benton Cockefair, proof that she was a great teacher and a real asset to the Kansas City community. What greater immortality for a person who devoted her life to the teaching profession?