Henry Bloch

Henry Wollman Bloch co-founded H&R Block — the tax-preparation company that would become one of the most-recognized American consumer-services brands — with his brother Richard in Kansas City in 1955. He led the company across multiple decades + transformed it into a national institution. His philanthropic giving — particularly to the Nelson-Atkins Museum + UMKC + Union Station — shaped much of modern KC cultural + educational infrastructure. He died in 2019 at age 96.

Biography

Early life

Henry Wollman Bloch was born on July 30, 1922 in Kansas City, Missouri — making him a KC native. The Bloch family had been longtime Kansas Citians; Henry grew up in the city.¹

He attended Southwest High School + the University of Michigan (where he earned an economics degree). He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.

Pre-H&R Block (1946-1955)

After WWII, Henry returned to Kansas City + worked in various small business roles. He + his brother Richard Bloch explored multiple business ventures together.

Founding H&R Block (1955)

In 1955, Henry + Richard Bloch founded H&R Block in Kansas City. The company initially provided bookkeeping + small-business accounting services — but discovered that customers were primarily interested in tax preparation, which the IRS had stopped providing for free that year.

The pivot to tax-preparation focus established H&R Block’s market niche. The company grew rapidly:

• Multiple KC-area offices through the late 1950s
• National franchise expansion through the 1960s
• Major brand recognition by the 1970s
• International expansion later

H&R Block became one of the most-recognized American consumer-services brands.

Multi-decade leadership

Henry Bloch served as CEO + chairman of H&R Block across multiple decades. Under his leadership:

• Multiple growth eras
• Public stock offering (1962)
• Industry-leading market position maintained
• KC-headquartered operations continuously

Civic philanthropy

The Bloch family — particularly Henry — became major Kansas City philanthropists:

• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Bloch Building addition (nelson-atkins) — Steven Holl architect; opened 2007; named for Henry + his late brother Richard; major gift
• UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management (university-of-missouri-kansas-city) — named gift establishing the business school
• Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain (henry-wollman-bloch-fountain) at Union Station (union-station) — choreographed water-and-light fountain named for Henry as part of Union Station restoration
• Multiple smaller civic gifts across decades

Death (2019)

Henry Bloch died on April 23, 2019 in Kansas City at age 96. He is buried in Kansas City.

Defining contributions to Kansas City

1. Co-founded H&R Block — one of the most-recognized American consumer-services brands; KC-headquartered.
2. Major Kansas City philanthropist — Nelson-Atkins Bloch Building, UMKC Bloch School, Bloch Fountain at Union Station, multiple other major gifts.
3. KC native — born + raised + lifelong KC resident; defining example of KC-native success.

Cultural legacy

Henry Bloch is one of the most-significant 20th-century Kansas City business + civic figures. His combination of:

• H&R Block co-founder + multi-decade CEO
• Major Kansas City philanthropist with multiple defining gifts
• KC native with deep civic engagement

makes him a foundational figure in modern KC.

The Bloch Building addition to the Nelson-Atkins (2007) + the Bloch Fountain at Union Station + the Bloch School of Management at UMKC all carry the family name into KC’s daily cultural + educational + civic landscape.

Contemporaries + collaborators

• Richard Bloch — brother + H&R Block co-founder
• Multiple KC business + civic leaders across decades

Sources

Footnotes

1. Wikipedia — “Henry Bloch” biography. ↩