Filed Under Education

David O. McKay Building (MCKB)

Built in 1954, the David O. McKay Building houses Brigham Young University’s School of Education, which includes Educational Leadership, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Psychology and Instructional Sciences.

The David O. McKay Building, dedicated in 1954, was originally named the Church Teachers College. Since its construction, the building has gone through various renovations and name changes before achieving its current status. Today, it houses one of the largest Education Preparation Programs in the United States and offers 15 degrees, employs 87 faculty members, and has served over 50 thousand living alumni. 

The David O. McKay Building honors the ninth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, David O. McKay, who was a lifelong educator. Throughout his life, McKay honored the School of Education's mission: provide a rigorous, gospel-centered education while learning after the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ. David O. McKay emphasized the importance of providing all young people with an equal opportunity to gain an education. His vision of schooling went beyond the common school movement of the twentieth century. He believed in creating experiences for children to learn and refine their character. 

The David O. McKay Building commemorates his distinctive contribution to the Education profession and his quest to find and employ truth in teaching. One of BYU's core aims is to be a lifelong learner and the David O. McKay Building reflects it. 

Images

A Model of the David O. McKay Building Source:
President David O. McKay views the building named after him, 1954. Source: Brigham Young University News Bureau, President David O. McKay views the building named after him, 1954, 1954, photograph, Brigham Young University, Digital Collections, https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/BYUPhotos/id/616/rec/1
President McKay hands Mrs. McKay the scissors for the ribbon cutting at the opening of the McKay Building Source: President McKay hands Mrs. Mckay the scissors at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the McKay Building, 1954, 1954, photograph, Brigam Young University, digital collections,  https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/BYUPhotos/id/620/rec/4.

Location

Metadata

Olivia Forsberg, Brigham Young University, “David O. McKay Building (MCKB),” Intermountain Histories, accessed December 11, 2023, https://www.intermountainhistories.org/items/show/651.