Everyone loves a great story. Especially when that story sheds light on who we are. That’s why it’s such a privilege to tell the UMKC story in a brand new way with this issue of Perspectives.

In this issue of Perspectives, you’ll find tales of unlikely friendships, hidden treasures and history embedded in the very hallways UMKC students walk each day. Though it would be impossible to break down

In nearly 90 years of history into 15 pages of a magazine — or, indeed, an entire book — these stories give real-life examples of some
of the values this university was founded upon: equality, community and excellence across the board.

For a relatively young, small school, the university boasts a network of international relationships and personal triumphs. In these
pages, meet a Japanese-American who crossed half the country on a promise, a young black man who broke boundaries on a national scale and a political exile who found refuge in the American heartland.

These stories tie directly to the place UMKC has become in the many decades since its founding.

UMKC has a living history — one that is still re ected in the faces of faculty, staff and students every day. We hope you will recognize
yourself in these pages and consider how your own story is woven into the university’s fabric.

Story by Lindsey Mayfield