City Union Mission Men's Shelter (formerly the UMKC Dentistry School)

The century-long history of this building on 10th & Troost can be divided into two halves. For the first fifty years (1920 - 1970), the building stood as the home to the UMKC Dentistry School. From 1977 to the present, the structure has been the home to City Union Mission Men's Shelter. The history of the Dentistry school dates back to the 1880s when Dr. Rinehart graduated from Western Dental in 1902 and joined its faculty in 1913. Six years later, he bought the college and then guided its merger with Kansas City Dental College (now UMKC Dentistry) in 1919. Rinehart financed the construction of this building in 1920 and it served as the home of the UMKC School of Dentistry for the next fifty years. The City Union Mission was established in 1924 as a faith-based organization dedicated to helping poverty-stricken residents of the city. The mission moved into the Troost Ave. building in 1977 and they also have an administration building across the street on 11th & Troost.

The building on 10th and Troost first served as the home to the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry from 1920 to 1970, followed by the City Union Mission Men's Shelter from 1977 to the present. The history of the UNKC Dental School dates back to 1881 with the founding of the Kansas City Dental College as a department within the Kansas City Medical College. Ultimately, the Dental College merged with Western Dental College to form the Kansas City-Western Dental College. Dr. Rinehart graduated from Western Dental in 1902 and then joined its faculty in 1913. The college began to struggle, so Dr. Rinehart and a group of investors bought it. Six years later, in 1919, Dr. Rinehart helped bring about the merger of his institution with its competitor, Kansas City Dental College, thus forming the Kansas City-Western Dental College. One year later, in 1920 he helped finance the construction of the building at 10th and Troost, which housed the school until 1970. 

During the twentieth century, the evolution of dental education included a move away from privately-owned training institutions and toward university-affiliated programs. Dr. Rinehart aided in creating the University of Kansas City (UKC), which opened in 1933, which the School of Dentistry joined in 1940; the UKC School of Dentistry was born. Then in 1963, UKC became UMKC when it joined the University of Missouri System; the dental school has been known as the UMKC School of Dentistry since then. 

The School of Dentistry moved out of the building on 10th and Troost in 1970, paving the way for City Union Mission to purchase the building (1977). (The Mission also has an administration office on 11th and Troost.) The building remains a men's shelter as of 2021. 

The City Union Mission emerged in 1924 to provide shelter and food to impoverished men, women, and children, as well as offer Christian messages and faith. The mission managed buildings in parts of town known for prostitution, crime, and poverty. In fact, its first shelter opened a facility located in the "Red Light District," which once served as a brothel. According to Union Mission, the building owner, Annie Chambers (known as Madame Lovejoy), died a few years after converting to Christianity. From its creation in 1924 to 2021, they have opened numerous facilities serving various purposes. The City Union Mission is entirely financed by private and commercial donations; it receives no government support, nor is it part of larger organizations such as United Way. 

"History." University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. umkc.edu. Accessed October 18, 2021. https://dentistry.umkc.edu/about-us/history/.

Hoover, Abby. "City Union Mission offers beds in men’s shelter." Northeast News. northeastnews.net. July 21st, 2021. http://northeastnews.net/pages/city-union-mission-offers-beds-in-mens-shelter/.

"We've Been Here Since 1924." City Union Mission. cityunionmission.org. Accessed October 18, 2021. https://cityunionmission.org/history/.