A Pearl of Great Value

From its beginning, the University of Missouri-Kansas City has been an institution embedded into the very fabric of Kansas City. Synonymous with STEM, research, and the arts, UMKC's mission as an urban-serving university has focused on educating future leaders and making Kansas City and the world beyond a better place. With more than 115,000 alumni around the world, and more than 47,000 living and working in Kansas City, its impact and reach are boundless. Through A Pearl of Great Value: The History of UMKC, Kansas City's University, UMKC history buff and alumnus Christopher Wolff traces the development of UMKC from a small, private liberal arts college of 260 students to the robust, urban-serving research university of more than 16,000 that it is today. A culmination of three years of research and writing, Wolff has assembled a thorough look into the history of UMKC. Wolff's extensive research shows the rich and complex roots of the university and how the University of Kansas City grew into UMKC and joined the University of Missouri System. Containing hundreds of photographs, many never before published, this book chronicles the historical events and stories that embody the character and set the foundation for Kansas City's university of today. Proceeds from A Pearl of Great Value: The History of UMKC, Kansas City's University will support the UMKC Alumni Association's student scholarships.