Most times, leadership comes from the dynamic leaders of a town. But sometimes, a quiet, unassuming lady can give a town a much- needed boost that can re-energize an entire population, and set a course that will have long lasting, positive effects. Such was the case in 1934, when McCook's Maude McMillen announced her plans to finance the construction of McCook Junior College's very first building.

From 1926 until 1935 McCook Junior College, Nebraska's first junior college, held classes on the third floor of the old YMCA, at the corner of E Street and Main in downtown McCook. From the beginning, there had been dreams of the college's own campus, but during the Depression years of the '30s those plans remained just dreams. There was simply no new construction and hopes for a college campus seemed remote.

Unexpectedly, in a November 1934, McCook Gazette story, Mrs. Maude McMillen announced that she planned to fund the cost of a new building, which would adequately house, without frills, the student body of McCook Junior College. The building would serve as a memorial to her son, Cecil, who had passed away in March.

Cecil McMillen was a bachelor and never in robust health. Early in the year he had suffered some heart trouble, but was thought to be getting better. So his death, in March, of a heart attack in Omaha, had thoroughly shocked his friends. Cecil was described as a thoughtful young man, with sedentary habits, but one with leanings toward cultural development. He was born in McCook and had graduated from high school here. He had attended the University of Michigan and the University of Nebraska, and was known as an avid reader and one with "superior tastes in art and literature."

He had made several trips to Europe observing trends and viewing the great art museums.

Cecil was something of a dandy. He drove a big car, was always well dressed, and didn't really work, but he was active in McCook community affairs. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, a Shriner, a Knight of Templar, and belonged to the Elks Lodge and the Kiwanis Club. He had a real affection for the theater and each season made trips to New York during the theater season. His reviews and criticisms of the New York plays were "a delight to his friends." Ray Search, a theater projectionist in those days, was a great friend of Mrs. McMillen's, whom he called a "great lady," but confessed he was not fond of Cecil. He thought he was "spoiled and aloof."

The McMillens were one of the pioneer families in McCook. Albert McMillen was one of the first druggists in the city, settling here in 1885. (McMillen Drug, owned then by Art Crabtree, was still in operation when we came to McCook in 1957. Crabtree had been a longtime employee of the McMillens.) Mrs. McMillen named Art Crabtree as her representative in negotiations with the city and school board for the new building. The McMillens were quiet, reserved people, but were well-known in the community for their leadership (especially Mrs. McMillen) in promoting the Arts in McCook.

Maude McMillen had thought a great deal about a fitting memorial to her son. His great interest in the arts and education seemed to make the choice of a building for the college a natural choice for Cecil's memorial. Her hope was that with a separate campus, MJC would be able to develop a definite "college atmosphere," and that the college would grow and increase "cultural opportunities" for McCook.

In her statement to the Gazette, Mrs. McMillen took note of the difficult times all faced in 1934. She pointed out that even in such times there are benefits. She said that they would be able to put up "twice as much building for the money spent," as compared to more "normal" times.

Though Mrs. McMillen's generous gift assured the college a new building, there was still a question of where it would be built. Members of the school board were of the opinion that it would be better for the student body if the building were built away from the downtown area. When news of the McMillen gift reached John E. Kelley, one of McCook's most prominent (and prosperous) citizens, he expressed his thanks to Mrs. McMillen for her gift. Further, he offered to give land he owned, adjacent to Kelley Park, east and north of the city, as a location for the building. There was a good deal of land available and he said that the school board and Mrs. McMillen's representative, Art Crabtree should work out the details of the project among themselves.

In an interview with the Gazette's Harry Strunk, Mr. Kelley explained that he wanted to help in anyway he could. He and the McMillens had come to McCook about the same time and he and Cecil's parents had been friends for nearly 50 years.

Said Mr. Kelley, "After Cecil had reached manhood I became personally acquainted with him, and when we met from time to time we seemed to have many things in common. I always found time to have him give me an outline of the interesting trips he made as he returned home from his journeys." Kelley saw the erection of a school building as a memorial to Cecil as "a fitting inspiration."

Mr. Strunk finished the story, "The part that Mr. Kelley is taking in the McMillen Memorial program brings together two of McCook's oldest and most honored families in an achievement that will stand for generations to come."

Later, Mrs. McMillen expressed her vision of the future, in which the McMillen building "would be the centerpiece of a quad of several laboratories, dormitories, and other educational structures. As a background, such a campus would have the panorama of Kelley Park, with winding lanes of trees and shrubs. It would be one of the most attractive college sites in Nebraska." (74 years later, I believe that Mrs. McMillen would be very pleased at just how accurate her crystal ball really was in 1934.)

Mrs. McMillen's announcement was greeted with great enthusiasm by the citizens of McCook. For the Gazette's part, Harry Strunk began immediately to enlist the aid of FERA and PWA (two of the new Roosevelt administration's public works programs) in the construction of the Cecil McMillen Memorial building.

A few years later, in 1939 Maude McMillen again honored the memory of her son, Cecil, when she generously paid the entire cost of a set of Degan Chimes, which were installed in McMillen Hall, and for many years provided a sense of continuity and well-being for people of McCook. The sound of the chimes covered all of east McCook, and as far away as downtown McCook. Musical numbers were aired on the hour, ending at 9 p.m. with the playing of the beautiful old tune, "The End of a Perfect Day."

On April 4, 1941, the McMillen Hall chimes were stilled, marking the death of the 73 year old McCook pioneer, Maude McMillen, who had done so much for McCook college, and for McCook itself.

(Note: In 2006 these chimes were restored to their original beauty. They are played on special occasions, and can be seen in their beautiful new case on the main floor of McMillen Hall on the McCook College Campus.)

Source: Gazette clippings from the scrapbooks of Wendell Cheney, courtesy of his niece, Carol Cheney Lashley of McCook.