Harry Evans Minty Memorial Fountain

Located inside the Kansas City Zoo on the Tiger Trail near the Red Panda exhibit, the Harry Evans Minty Memorial Fountain is an actively working drinking fountain first installed in 1965. Minty made a career in insurance and was a member and leader of many local organizations. Most notably, he was on the Park Board of Commissioners from 1942 to 1948 and worked to restore the Board’s business while keeping politics at bay after the fall of Tom Pendergast’s notorious political machine. Mr. Minty’s daughter Harriet donated the drinking fountain which features a bronze sculpture of one of her fathers favorite zoo animals, a lion cub named “Tyke,” on a corrugated, cylindrical concrete base. It was originally placed near the African Veldt and dedicated on October 19, 1967, then relocated in 1977 following the opening of the Great Catwalk exhibit. 

Harry Evans Minty (1869-1955) was born in Michigan to Irish immigrant and notable cavalry colonel and commander Robert Horatio George Minty. He moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and worked in banking before coming to Kansas City around 1900. Minty made a career in the insurance business and was active in many civic and social organizations. He was a member and later President of the social club for young businessmen, Knife and Fork Club; a member of the Kansas City Country Club; involved with the non-partisan political organization Citizens Association; served as the secretary and later Director of the Chamber of Commerce; and worked to raise funds for the indigent while on the Board of the Provident Association, where he also become President.

In 1942, Minty was first appointed to the Park Board of Commissioners. He was a respected member of the Board and became President in 1944 until his resignation in July of 1948. Upon his departure, the Kansas City Star commended his ability to handle business while keeping politics out, as the Parks Department had become negligible in their duties in the previous decade due to the political influence of Tom Pendergast. Later, Mayor William Kemp lauded Mr. Minty as “one of the most unselfish citizens, from the standpoint of what was good for Kansas City, that I have ever known.” Efforts during Minty’s time on the Park Board included improvements to Swope Park and the Kansas City Zoo.

Harry Evans Minty Memorial Fountain, City of Fountains. Accessed August 19th, 2022. https://cityoffountains.org/harry-evans-minty-memorial-fountain/.

Harry E. Minty (1942-48), Kansas City Parks & Recreation. Accessed August 19th, 2022. https://kcparks.org/harry-e-minty-1942-48-57as-part-of-kcparks125-we-are-featuring-all-104-park-board-commissioners-in-order-of-their-service-harry-evans-minty-1869-1955-was-born-in-michigan-his-father-robert/.

Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City. Kansas Citian. Volume 11. Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, 1922.