Henry W. Bloch

2010 Five Star Award Recipient

Henry W. Bloch Scholars Program

2010 Five Star Award Recipient

2010 Five Star Award

It's the American dream. Two men start a company on a $5,000 loan and a prayer and turns it into one of the most successful companies in the world. It becomes a tax service that serves more than 24 million customers at more than 13,000 retail outlets and whose own tax return shows billions in income.

It is an amazing success story. Yet the H in H&R Block, Henry Bloch, was not a scholar.

Kansas City Roots

Henry Bloch was born in 1922, and attended Southwest High School. He was an average student at best, struggling to make the grades. His college career spanned the University of Kansas City and the University of Michigan, from which he graduated in 1944.

After distinguished WWII service, he and his brother Leon founded a bookkeeping company, the United Business Company. After several disappointing months, Leon left the business and another brother, Richard, joined the company.

On the brink of cancelling one of the side services they offered clients, tax preparation, they were persuaded to run an ad. The day it ran, Henry received a fateful message from his brother, "Hank, get back as quick as you can. We've got an office full of people!"

The rest is history

In 1955, the two brothers founded H&R Block. In just a few weeks, they grossed more than $20,000. The next year, they made more than $65,000.

In 1957, they began franchising the business. In 1962, the company made $800,000 and became a public company. Today it is a multi-billion dollar company.

Giving back big time

Kansas City knows well the generosity of this man and his company. Says Bloch, "I've always wanted to do something different, something more than just a job, something to contribute to society."

Among his countless philanthropic endeavors, there is a Bloch building at the Nelson and a Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at UMKC.

And the Henry W. Bloch Scholarship.

A scholarship with a twist

In honor of Henry's retirement from the Corporation, The H& R Block Foundation created a scholarship that does NOT require a high gpa, high ACT score or a high rank in school. Since 2000, this scholarship has provided funds for tuition and fees for average students like himself who have the drive and determination to succeed.

As many as 50 students a year can get funds to earn an associate's degree at MCC-Penn Valley and a bachelor's degree at UMKC. Over the years, the scholarship has given hundreds of students a chance to succeed.