McCook Field

McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917-1927. It was named for Alexander McDowell McCook, a Civil War general and his brothers and cousins, who were collectively known as "The Fighting McCooks".

History

In 1917, anticipating a massive need for military airplanes by the United States during World War I, six Dayton businessmen including Edward A. Deeds formed the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company in Dayton, Ohio. In addition to building a factory in Moraine, Ohio, Deeds built an airfield on property he owned in Moraine for use by the company. Deeds was also interested in building a public aviation field along the Great Miami River approximately one mile (1.6 km) north of downtown Dayton, purchasing the property in March 1917. He called it North Field to differentiate it from the South Field in Moraine.

The United States entered the war before he could develop North Field. Deeds sold his interest in the Dayton-Wright Company to become a member of the Aircraft Production Board, on which he served until August 2, 1917, then accepted a commission as a colonel in the Signal Corps and became Chief of the Equipment Division. Its responsibility was to oversee the building of aircraft and engines needed for the Aviation Section. His frustration with the fragmentation of the division and slow progress of the aviation effort led to a recommendation to construct a temporary experimental engineering station. His recommendation for leasing South Field for that purpose was accepted by the War Department but was objected to by the Dayton-Wright Company, which needed the field for wartime production of new aircraft, in particular the DH-4. Instead, the Army leased North Field and opened McCook Field on December 5, 1917.

McCook Field (stadium)

McCook Field was a stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. It hosted the University of Kansas Jayhawks football team until they moved to Memorial Stadium in 1921. The stadium held 15,000 people at its peak and was opened in 1892. The stadium was financed by John James McCook.

History and Home Field Advantage

Kansas enjoyed much success in the years they played at McCook. In the 29 seasons at McCook, they compiled a home record of 101-23-8. Multiple coaching legends coached the Jayhawks during their tenure at McCook included Fielding Yost, who would go on to win 6 national championships at Michigan. He led Kansas to a 10-0 record in 1899, going 6-0 at McCook. John Outland, for whom the Outland trophy is named coached the 1901 season and was 2-2 at home. A.R. "Bert" Kennedy, the winningest coach in KU football history coached all of his seasons while McCook was the home field. His record at McCook was 32-3-1, including defeats against Nebraska, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and Oklahoma at McCook field. College basketball coaching legend Phog Allen coached the football team at McCook. Allen was undefeated at home, going 4-0-1.