Dear Editor,

Recently I have learned of Kansas City University’s (KCU) plan to demolish the old Nurses’ Building on its campus. As a preservationist at heart, I never like to see the removal of a historic building, especially such a beautiful one that has stood for nearly 100 years. I don’t own the building so I can’t control its future or fate, but as a Pendleton Heights resident, I certainly appreciate the contribution that it makes to our neighborhood. 

Hearing of this plan makes me step back and wonder if some schools believe that the days of graduates returning to their colleges for visits to see their old haunts are over. If so, it would seem that alumni reflecting back on those memories– teachers who made a difference, classrooms where they studied, offices where they worked, sidewalks where they walked with classmates-no longer matter. 

It’s natural to look back on one’s life and revisit some of those people and places. Visits and reflections are important to our experiences and help create substance in our learning experiences. As an alumnus of my undergraduate and graduate schools, I am frequently asked to donate money to them. I realize that their upkeep is expensive and their advancement is essential, and I know that they have to gain income any way they can. I want them to continue to grow and to attract young people who want to build careers. As a graduate though, if I feel I can no longer relate to–or recognize–the campus of my college days, I’m less likely to feel that connection anymore, and less likely to donate. 

From my perspective, an administration that makes the decision to remove an historically-important structure is shortsighted. I respect schools like the University of Missouri that revere Jesse Hall, the University of Arizona that has kept Old Main, and Harvard University as it recognizes the value of the Widener Library. There are two extant buildings on KCU’s campus that the school should recognize as historic contributions to its history. The Nurses’ Building, aka Smith Hall, is one of them. 

Pendleton Heights, an historic residential neighborhood and Kansas City’s first suburb, is fortunate to have an institute of higher learning within its boundaries. KCU has a good reputation that attracts many who want to achieve a place in life by making a difference. As a good steward to the neighborhood in which it resides, one would think it wants to be a good neighbor by respecting the wishes of those who live around its campus. The neighbors’ perspective is for the Nurses’ Building to remain standing, especially since in recent years KCU has already demolished at least eight other historic buildings on or near its campus. 

If I was in the university’s position and had a say-so on the Nurses’ Building’s future, I would find a creative way to retain it. Yes, it can be done and is being done all over the country. In hindsight, if KCU keeps the building and repurposes it, it may just realize that keeping the building was the right thing to do for its current appearance and for its future interest and support. 

Kent T. Dicus,

Chairman, Northeast Kansas City Historical Society