Henry W. Bloch Wiki
Henry Wollman Bloch (July 30, 1922 – April 23, 2019) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the co-founder and (since 2000) the chairman emeritus of the American tax-preparation company H&R Block. Henry and his brother, Richard Bloch, founded H&R Block in 1955 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Henry W. Bloch Quick Facts
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Born |
Henry Wollman Bloch
July 30, 1922 Kansas City, Missouri, United States
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Died | April 23, 2019 (aged 96) |
Education | Southwest High School |
Alma mater | • University of Michigan • University of Missouri–Kansas City |
Occupation | Founder and businessman |
Spouse(s) | Marion Helzberg |
Children | Robert Bloch Thomas Bloch Mary Jo Bloch Brown Elizabeth Bloch Uhlmann |
Relatives | Richard Bloch (brother) Leon Bloch (brother) |
Early life and education
Bloch was born to a Jewish family in Kansas City where he attended Southwest High School, and was an undergraduate at University of Missouri–Kansas City. He later attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, graduating in 1944. Through the U.S. Army Air Corpshe received graduate training at the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts.
Career
Bloch founded the H&R Block company with his brother Richard in 1955
Personal life and honors
In 1951, Bloch married Marion Helzberg; they had four children: Robert Bloch, Thomas Bloch, Mary Jo Bloch Brown, and Elizabeth Bloch Uhlmann and lived in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain in front of Kansas City’s Union Station is named in his honor, as is the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the Bloch Building, a major addition to Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Bloch was inducted into the Junior Achievement’s U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2001.
Death Cause
Bloch died peacefully surrounded by his family on April 23, 2019 at the age of 96. He was remembered by Jeff Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of H&R Block Inc. as a model for entrepreneurs. “Through his honesty and integrity, Henry embodied the best of American business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. His vision lives on through H&R Block associates and the many philanthropic organizations that he supported.