William Parker McKee
Encyclopedia
William Parker McKee was an American educator and Baptist minister. He served as the chief executive of Shimer College
from 1897 to 1930, a position known at the time as "Dean". During this period the school was known by turns as the Frances Shimer Academy, Frances Shimer School, and Frances Shimer Junior College. The second executive of the college following its founder Frances Shimer
, Dean McKee was also the second longest-serving executive in Shimer's history. He oversaw the rebuilding of the campus following the fire of 1906, and the commencement of the junior college
program shortly thereafter.
. Parker was the family name of his mother, Hattie Parker McKee. His father was Melvin McKee, a Baptist minister in Indianola. McKee attended Wabash Preparatory School, and graduated from Wabash College
with an A.B. in 1883. He graduated from the Theological Seminary of the University of Chicago
with a Bachelor of Divinity
in 1887. In the same year, he became pastor of the Olivet Baptist Church in Minneapolis, where he served for ten years.
In 1895, McKee began graduate studies in history at the University of Minnesota
. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with an A.M.
in 1897. From 1896 to 1897, he was president of the Baptist Young People's Union of Minnesota.
McKee was married twice. On August 23, 1887, McKee married Nettie Hartley. On July 20, 1890, she gave birth to a son, Howard Harper McKee, who subsequently became a professor of geology. She died on September 8, 1894. On June 27, 1901, McKee married Florence Turner of Chicago. On September 21, 1902, she gave birth to a daughter named Margaret Elizabeth.
to become Dean of the Frances Shimer Academy of the University of Chicago, located in Mount Carroll, Illinois
. Harper had previously orchestrated the affiliation of the school to the University of Chicago the previous year. McKee was officially installed as Dean on July 1, 1897, and moved to Mount Carroll with his mother and son in August 1897. Also in 1897, McKee received a "reenacted" B.D. from the University of Chicago
.
McKee assumed the Deanship after a brief period (1896-1897) in which control of the school had resided in a non-resident principal at the University of Chicago, whose decisions were implemented by the resident dean in Mount Carroll. With McKee's installation as Dean, decisionmaking became centralized in Mount Carroll as it had been under his predecessor, school founder Frances Shimer
.
Frances Shimer had avoided overt fundraising and student recruitment, but under McKee these were pursued aggressively. These efforts were aided in time by the estates of Frances Shimer and longtime associate principal Adelia C. Joy. By the time of McKee's retirement, the college had more than 200 students.
McKee arrived at the school under conditions of falling enrollment and low morale. Enrollment for the 1896-1897 academic year had dropped to 61 students. In the 1897-1898 year this rose to 97, and was 94 the following year. This was considered sufficient by the Board of Trustees to authorize additional construction, beginning with South Hall in the summer of 1899. This was followed by Dearborn Hall for music in 1903, and the Hathaway Hall dormitory in 1905. This led to the transformation of the campus from the agricultural look of the 19th century to a classic college quadrangle
.
In February 1906, the entire campus except for the two most recent buildings was destroyed by fire. As he watched the academy burn, "those around him heard his words vowing to rebuild the campus." This was accomplished, with help from donors including Andrew Carnegie
, and by the time of McKee's retirement the campus consisted of 12 brick buildings in the Georgian Revival style, all constructed during McKee's tenure. The last of these to be constructed was the gymnasium, which was financed by a $10,000 loan against the operating budget.
In addition to serving as Dean, which was equivalent to the modern position of President, McKee also served as an instructor of history at the Academy. He was known for maintaining an atmosphere of collegiality
, and created a tradition of reading James Whitcomb Riley
to the students in the evenings. He was also responsible for creating a number of other Shimer traditions, including the May Fete.
In the final years of his presidency, McKee grew increasingly remote from the college and faculty. This became a source of concern to the Board by 1929, and it was found that Mrs. McKee was by that time performing many of the duties of the Dean. McKee submitted his resignation on November 29, 1929, and was succeeded in 1930 by Floyd Wilcox
. The McKees moved to Urbana, Illinois
, where McKee died in 1933.
Shimer College
Shimer College is a very small, private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Founded by Frances Wood Shimer in 1853 in the frontier town of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, it was a women's school for most of its first century. It joined with the University of...
from 1897 to 1930, a position known at the time as "Dean". During this period the school was known by turns as the Frances Shimer Academy, Frances Shimer School, and Frances Shimer Junior College. The second executive of the college following its founder Frances Shimer
Frances Shimer
Frances Shimer , born Frances Ann Wood, was an American educator. She was the founder of the Mount Carroll Seminary, which later became Shimer College, in Mount Carroll, Illinois...
, Dean McKee was also the second longest-serving executive in Shimer's history. He oversaw the rebuilding of the campus following the fire of 1906, and the commencement of the junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
program shortly thereafter.
Early life
McKee was born on August 8, 1862 in Indianola, IllinoisIndianola, Illinois
Indianola is a village in Carroll Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the 'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
. Parker was the family name of his mother, Hattie Parker McKee. His father was Melvin McKee, a Baptist minister in Indianola. McKee attended Wabash Preparatory School, and graduated from Wabash College
Wabash College
Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...
with an A.B. in 1883. He graduated from the Theological Seminary of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
with a Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
in 1887. In the same year, he became pastor of the Olivet Baptist Church in Minneapolis, where he served for ten years.
In 1895, McKee began graduate studies in history at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with an A.M.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1897. From 1896 to 1897, he was president of the Baptist Young People's Union of Minnesota.
McKee was married twice. On August 23, 1887, McKee married Nettie Hartley. On July 20, 1890, she gave birth to a son, Howard Harper McKee, who subsequently became a professor of geology. She died on September 8, 1894. On June 27, 1901, McKee married Florence Turner of Chicago. On September 21, 1902, she gave birth to a daughter named Margaret Elizabeth.
Deanship
In August 1897, McKee accepted an invitation from William Rainey HarperWilliam Rainey Harper
William Rainey Harper was one of America's leading academics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Harper helped to organize the University of Chicago and Bradley University and served as the first President of both institutions.-Early life:Harper was born on July 26, 1856 in New Concord,...
to become Dean of the Frances Shimer Academy of the University of Chicago, located in Mount Carroll, Illinois
Mount Carroll, Illinois
Mount Carroll is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States-History:Shimer College was established in Mt. Carroll in 1853, but mounting debts forced a move to Waukegan, Illinois in 1979. The campus now is home to several organizations, most notably the Campbell Center for Historic...
. Harper had previously orchestrated the affiliation of the school to the University of Chicago the previous year. McKee was officially installed as Dean on July 1, 1897, and moved to Mount Carroll with his mother and son in August 1897. Also in 1897, McKee received a "reenacted" B.D. from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
McKee assumed the Deanship after a brief period (1896-1897) in which control of the school had resided in a non-resident principal at the University of Chicago, whose decisions were implemented by the resident dean in Mount Carroll. With McKee's installation as Dean, decisionmaking became centralized in Mount Carroll as it had been under his predecessor, school founder Frances Shimer
Frances Shimer
Frances Shimer , born Frances Ann Wood, was an American educator. She was the founder of the Mount Carroll Seminary, which later became Shimer College, in Mount Carroll, Illinois...
.
Frances Shimer had avoided overt fundraising and student recruitment, but under McKee these were pursued aggressively. These efforts were aided in time by the estates of Frances Shimer and longtime associate principal Adelia C. Joy. By the time of McKee's retirement, the college had more than 200 students.
McKee arrived at the school under conditions of falling enrollment and low morale. Enrollment for the 1896-1897 academic year had dropped to 61 students. In the 1897-1898 year this rose to 97, and was 94 the following year. This was considered sufficient by the Board of Trustees to authorize additional construction, beginning with South Hall in the summer of 1899. This was followed by Dearborn Hall for music in 1903, and the Hathaway Hall dormitory in 1905. This led to the transformation of the campus from the agricultural look of the 19th century to a classic college quadrangle
Quadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
.
In February 1906, the entire campus except for the two most recent buildings was destroyed by fire. As he watched the academy burn, "those around him heard his words vowing to rebuild the campus." This was accomplished, with help from donors including Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, and by the time of McKee's retirement the campus consisted of 12 brick buildings in the Georgian Revival style, all constructed during McKee's tenure. The last of these to be constructed was the gymnasium, which was financed by a $10,000 loan against the operating budget.
In addition to serving as Dean, which was equivalent to the modern position of President, McKee also served as an instructor of history at the Academy. He was known for maintaining an atmosphere of collegiality
Collegiality
Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues.Colleagues are those explicitly united in a common purpose and respecting each other's abilities to work toward that purpose...
, and created a tradition of reading James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...
to the students in the evenings. He was also responsible for creating a number of other Shimer traditions, including the May Fete.
In the final years of his presidency, McKee grew increasingly remote from the college and faculty. This became a source of concern to the Board by 1929, and it was found that Mrs. McKee was by that time performing many of the duties of the Dean. McKee submitted his resignation on November 29, 1929, and was succeeded in 1930 by Floyd Wilcox
Floyd Wilcox
Floyd Cleveland Wilcox was the third president of Shimer College, serving from 1930 to 1935. His leadership, though marked by controversy, saw the school through the most difficult years of the Great Depression...
. The McKees moved to Urbana, Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
, where McKee died in 1933.
Works
- 1899, "Transient and Permanent Elements in Deuteronomy", in The Biblical World, edited by William Rainey Harper et al., vol. 13, pp. 249-251. http://books.google.com/books?id=07AQAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA249
- 1900, "Change in the Curricula of Girls' Schools", The Standard, vol. 47, p. 1510. http://books.google.com/books?id=EjdFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1580
See also
- History of Shimer CollegeHistory of Shimer CollegeThe history of Shimer College begins in 1853, and has involved a series of crises and profound changes. Because of this, the college is often symbolized by a phoenix which is reborn from its own ashes...