Rachel Seymour

Harland Cope was the first resident to step into Battenfeld Scholarship Hall in 1940. Sixty-five years after he graduated from the University of Kansas, he relived his college days with the residents of Battenfeld.

Cope, 82, visited Lawrence from Hawaii because his nephew, Gary Kilgore, had his 40th wedding anniversary in Chanute. Cope said he wanted to see the Korean War Memorial as well because he was in the Navy for more than 30 years.

Even though Cope arrived Friday and left yesterday, he made the most of his visit. He stayed at Battenfeld, located on the eastern edge of campus, and talked with a dozen residents about life at the University.

But before arriving at Battenfeld, Cope unintentionally took a tour of the campus on Friday as well.

“It took me an hour to drive around campus looking for Battenfeld,” Cope said.

Cope, a Kansas man, grew up in Greensburg, in southwestern Kansas, and then became familiar with Lawrence during his college years. It had been 30 to 40 years since his last visit to the University. He said he found a sign to Templin Hall and thought he was close to his destination. Templin Scholarship Hall, which was razed in 1959, used to be next to Battenfeld.

He said he remembered the living room at Battenfeld, where students used to sing songs.

“The building just looks fantastic,” Cope said. “It’s 65 years old, but you couldn’t tell from looking at it.”

Living arrangements used to be different in the scholarship hall. Residents had separate rooms for homework and sleeping. Cope lived with three people in room 12, which had two desks and one chair. There were about 25 other smaller rooms with double decker beds, Cope said. Battenfeld has four people who share a living room as before, but now it has more room for sleeping arrangements.

“It was much more formal,” Cope said.

Formality in Battenfeld came from Mother Montgomery, Cope said. As the house mother, Montgomery planned meals and disciplined the men of Battenfeld Hall. Residents took turns escorting Montgomery to the dinner table. Once she was seated, no one picked up a knife to start eating before she did.

Montgomery was such an influential figure that Cope started the Florence Montgomery Memorial Scholarship in her name.

Cope said he arranged to meet up with two people from the class of 1944 during his trip. He said he saw two of his classmates, Jay Gunnels, and a woman named Scottie. Cope said he did not know her last name. He remembered taking classes with Gunnels, but did not recall Scottie, who lived in Corbin Hall. Cope still talked to Scottie about the functions that Battenfeld had with Corbin.

“I didn’t know her, but I said that I remember dancing with her,” Cope joked.

Jesse Haug, Atchison sophomore, got the opportunity to meet Cope last weekend. He was a recipient of the Montgomery Scholarship. Haug said he was honored to talk to the man responsible for the scholarship he had earned. He said he received about $1,200 this year from the scholarship.

“I could definitely see him living in Battenfeld,” Haug said. “Everyone who comes through this hall loves it, and I guess that hasn’t changed in 65 years.”