Laurie Perry Cookingham
Encyclopedia
Laurie Perry Cookingham, more commonly known as L.P. Cookingham or L. Perry Cookingham, (October 23, 1896-July 22, 1992) was a noted public administrator
in the United States having served as City Manager
of Kansas City, Missouri
for 19 years, a tenure longer than anyone else had served as city manager in any city in the United States
. This distinctively long tenure earned him the respect of many of his colleagues, some of whom dubbed him the “Dean of City Managers.”
. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I
and received a civil engineering degree from the Detroit Institute of Technology
. He worked in the public-works department of Flint, Michigan
, where he met his wife Hariete West.
In 1926, he was the first city manager of Clawson, Michigan
. In 1931, he was named city manager of Plymouth, Michigan
and subsequently became the director of the work division of the Federal Emergency Relief Association in Wayne County, Michigan
.
Cookingham served as the first City Manager of Saginaw, Michigan
, after that city adopted a new city charter providing for the council-manager form of government in 1935.http://www.saginaw-mi.com/Government/charter/ He served in this post from January 6, 1936 until May 14, 1940. During this time he was also president of the International City/County Management Association
.
was to install a puppet city manager as the first city manager, in the form of Henry F. McElroy.
The Pendergast/McElroy combine was to usher in a glory era in which much of the city infrastructure, including Kansas City City Hall
, Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City), Nelson Art Gallery, was built and Kansas City Jazz
was to thrive during a period of lax to non-existent enforcement of liquor laws. However, the era was also marked by patronage jobs and no-bid contracts, all covered up by McElroy's "country bookkeeping." The era ended in 1940 with Pendergast pleading guilty to income tax evasion. McElroy had died shortly after leaving office in 1939.
Following the city election of 1940, a new city council hired Cookingham to reform Kansas City’s administration. He took office on June 10, 1940.
Cookingham entered office with the city $20 million in debt. Within six months, he had trimmed the payroll by 2,000 and within a year and a half he had eliminated the city's debt.
He was to oversee a period when Kansas City through annexations more than doubled in area from 60 to 130 square miles (336.7 km²) —- mostly north of the Missouri River
.
The Great Flood of 1951
destroyed much of Kansas City's industrial base —- devastating the Kansas City Stockyards
and destroying major facilities belonging to the city's two home-based airlines -- Mid-Continent Airlines
and TWA
. Cookingham oversaw the construction of a brand new jet port north of the Missouri River
, which would become Kansas City International Airport
, including the construction of a city-owned overhaul base that was leased back to TWA to repair its worldwide fleet of planes. Cookingham Road, the main road into the airport, is named for him.
The freeway system in the Kansas City metropolitan area
is credited in large part to Cookingham’s planning.
In 1959, the City Council forced Cookingham to resign. Within the next four years, Kansas City had nine city managers.
for four years. After which, he retired and returned to Kansas City where he administered the People to People Program and served as a consultant to Kansas City architect firm HNTB
.
The University of Missouri–Kansas City
conferred upon him the honorary degree
Doctor of Humane Letters
on May 12, 1979.http://muarchives.missouri.edu/honorarydegree.html#c
In 1986, the City of Saginaw invited Cookingham to participate in celebrations marking the 50th anniversary
of the council-manager city charter in recognition of his contributions made to that city in which he was also highly regarded. During the occasion, a time capsule
was buried near the entrance to Saginaw’s City Hall scheduled to be opened in 2036.
Cookingham died on July 22, 1992, in Kansas City, at the age of 95. He was buried at Forest Hill-Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City.http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6821403&pt=L.%20Cookingham
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
in the United States having served as City Manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
for 19 years, a tenure longer than anyone else had served as city manager in any city in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This distinctively long tenure earned him the respect of many of his colleagues, some of whom dubbed him the “Dean of City Managers.”
Early life
Cookingham was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Danville, IllinoisDanville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and received a civil engineering degree from the Detroit Institute of Technology
Detroit Institute of Technology
The Detroit Institute of Technology was a fully accredited, four-year technical college in Detroit, Michigan that closed operations as a result of economic recession in 1982.First called the Association Institute...
. He worked in the public-works department of Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, where he met his wife Hariete West.
In 1926, he was the first city manager of Clawson, Michigan
Clawson, Michigan
Clawson is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, its population was 11,825.-Geography:...
. In 1931, he was named city manager of Plymouth, Michigan
Plymouth, Michigan
Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is an enclave completely surrounded by Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan.-Geography:...
and subsequently became the director of the work division of the Federal Emergency Relief Association in Wayne County, Michigan
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
.
Cookingham served as the first City Manager of Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
, after that city adopted a new city charter providing for the council-manager form of government in 1935.http://www.saginaw-mi.com/Government/charter/ He served in this post from January 6, 1936 until May 14, 1940. During this time he was also president of the International City/County Management Association
International City/County Management Association
ICMA is an association representing professionals in local government management. It is based in Washington, D.C., USA....
.
City Manager of Kansas City
Kansas City had switched to the city manager form of government in the 1926, ostensibly to improve efficiency. However, big city boss Tom PendergastTom Pendergast
Thomas Joseph Pendergast controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri as a political boss. "Boss Tom" Pendergast gave workers jobs and helped elect politicians during the Great Depression, becoming wealthy in the process.-Early years:Thomas Joseph Pendergast, also known to close friends as...
was to install a puppet city manager as the first city manager, in the form of Henry F. McElroy.
The Pendergast/McElroy combine was to usher in a glory era in which much of the city infrastructure, including Kansas City City Hall
Kansas City City Hall
The City Hall of Kansas City, Missouri, is the official seat of government for the city of Kansas City, Missouri. It is a 29-story skyscraper located in downtown Kansas City, and has an observation deck on the top of it...
, Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City), Nelson Art Gallery, was built and Kansas City Jazz
Kansas City Jazz
Kansas City Jazz is a style of jazz that developed in Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding Kansas City Metropolitan Area during the 1930s and marked the transition from the structured big band style to the musical improvisation style of Bebop...
was to thrive during a period of lax to non-existent enforcement of liquor laws. However, the era was also marked by patronage jobs and no-bid contracts, all covered up by McElroy's "country bookkeeping." The era ended in 1940 with Pendergast pleading guilty to income tax evasion. McElroy had died shortly after leaving office in 1939.
Following the city election of 1940, a new city council hired Cookingham to reform Kansas City’s administration. He took office on June 10, 1940.
Cookingham entered office with the city $20 million in debt. Within six months, he had trimmed the payroll by 2,000 and within a year and a half he had eliminated the city's debt.
He was to oversee a period when Kansas City through annexations more than doubled in area from 60 to 130 square miles (336.7 km²) —- mostly north of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
.
The Great Flood of 1951
Great Flood of 1951
In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River and other surrounding areas. Flooding resulted in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. The damage in June and July 1951 exceeded $935 million dollars in an area covering eastern Kansas and...
destroyed much of Kansas City's industrial base —- devastating the Kansas City Stockyards
Kansas City Stockyards
The Kansas City Stockyards in the West Bottoms west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri flourished from 1871 until closing in 1991.Jay B. Dillingham was the President of the stockyards from the 1948 to its closing in 1991.-History:...
and destroying major facilities belonging to the city's two home-based airlines -- Mid-Continent Airlines
Mid-Continent Airlines
Mid-Continent Airlines operated in the central United States through the 1930s until merging with Braniff Airlines in 1952.The company was founded in 1928 in Sioux City, Iowa as Hanford's Tri-State Airlines by Arthur Hanford, Jr., who offered charter service and scheduled flights from Sioux City to...
and TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
. Cookingham oversaw the construction of a brand new jet port north of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
, which would become Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport , originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport located 15 miles northwest of the central business district of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, United States. In 2008, 10,469,892 passengers used the airport...
, including the construction of a city-owned overhaul base that was leased back to TWA to repair its worldwide fleet of planes. Cookingham Road, the main road into the airport, is named for him.
The freeway system in the Kansas City metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
is credited in large part to Cookingham’s planning.
In 1959, the City Council forced Cookingham to resign. Within the next four years, Kansas City had nine city managers.
Post Kansas City
After leaving Kansas City, Cookingham was city manager of Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
for four years. After which, he retired and returned to Kansas City where he administered the People to People Program and served as a consultant to Kansas City architect firm HNTB
HNTB
HNTB Corporation is an architecture and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri that has designed many bridges, roadways, airports and professional sports stadiums across the United States and around the world.The firm started in 1914 as Harrington, Howard & Ash...
.
The University of Missouri–Kansas City
University of Missouri–Kansas City
The University of Missouri–Kansas City is a public university located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is a branch of the University of Missouri System. Its main campus is in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood east of the Country Club Plaza...
conferred upon him the honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Humane Letters
Doctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
on May 12, 1979.http://muarchives.missouri.edu/honorarydegree.html#c
In 1986, the City of Saginaw invited Cookingham to participate in celebrations marking the 50th anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
of the council-manager city charter in recognition of his contributions made to that city in which he was also highly regarded. During the occasion, a time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
was buried near the entrance to Saginaw’s City Hall scheduled to be opened in 2036.
Cookingham died on July 22, 1992, in Kansas City, at the age of 95. He was buried at Forest Hill-Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City.http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6821403&pt=L.%20Cookingham