The University of Missouri-Kansas City (abbreviated UMKC) is an institution of higher learning located in Kansas City, Missouri. The university got its start as a private, independent university in 1933, and was originally known as the University of Kansas City. In 1963 it became part of the University of Missouri system, and by 2002 its active enrollment had grown to over 13,000 students.
Its student body has included future mayor of Kansas City, such as Ilus Davis and Charles Wheeler, and a future U.S. president, Harry Truman. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Casey Stengel, attended, as did a former Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, Hilary Bush. H&R Block, the tax return preparation and financial services company, was co-founded by Henry W. Bloch (sic), another former student. John Ciardi, the poet and etymologist, taught here.
UMKC's team mascot is a kangaroo and they go by the nickname the Kangaroos.