GU residence hall name honors Kaufmann Family connection
Published: October 17, 2022
What’s in a name? In the case of Kaufmann Hall, many stories and lives impacted are in the name.
Kaufmann Hall, the new residence hall under construction on Greenville University’s campus, is named in honor of Dr. M. Kenneth Kaufmann (pictured with wife, Stella) and family. It only seems fitting to name the new building that will house 246 students after the man who offered up space in his own home to many students who needed it.
Most GU alumni from 1959 to 2000 recall Dr. Kenneth Kaufmann ’49 as Greenville College’s physician, husband to Stella (Butcher ’54), and father to seven children—six who attended GU. He also taught health and science classes at the institution.
Over the years, he and his family opened their home to at least 24 students, a gesture that helped his young house guests afford college. Jerry Britt ’83 stayed with the Kaufmanns during his sophomore year and remembers his time there fondly. He says they treated any student who lived with them like family.
“Dr. Kaufmann was a successful doctor, but a down-to-earth guy who seemed to know and care about each of us as individuals,” Britt reminisces. “If it were not for people like the Kaufmanns who gave back to the college community, I would not have been able to attend.”
Dr. Kaufmann also served in many capacities at the local hospital and at the local health department. He was included in the Who’s Who in the Midwest in 1972-73 and 1978-79, and recognized with Greenville College’s President’s Award in 1974. He served on the Board of Trustees for Greenville College for many years and both he and Stella served the College on the Parent’s Cabinet, the Alumni Board, and helped in many fundraising campaigns.
His medical office building became The Kaufmann Building, a part of Greenville University, and housed the alumni office for many decades. It also served as the advancement office for a time, before serving as the Center for Visual Culture and Media Studies (CVCMS), a collaboration between the departments of English, communication, digital media, and art.
The Kaufmann legacy will continue at GU through Kaufmann Hall (see artist's rendering), which will house students and classrooms for nursing instruction and other STEM classes.
"Greenville University has sustained and extended its mission by standing on the shoulders of our alumni, donors, and several incredible Free Methodist families,” says Scott Giffen, chief philanthropy officer at GU. “They know the powerful impact we have as God works through us. They have supported us through thick and thin and have grown with us. The Kaufmann family is one of those families. I'm privileged to know them, and it is right to honor this family for all they have done and continue to do—selflessly, with cheer, and so generously."
The Kaufmann family invites donations to the Dr. Ken and Mrs. Stella Kaufmann Scholarship Award, to impact students pursuing a career in the medical field and children of missionaries and Free Methodist families. Visit greenville.edu/giving or for more information, contact GU's Office of Advancement at (618) 664-6500.
Learn more about Greenville University's current campus projects.
