This date celebrates the 1916 founding of Wheatley-Provident Hospital, the first medical facility to serve the Black community of Kansas City, MO.
Created in 1910 as the Perry Sanitarium and Training School for Nurses, it was named after Dr. J. Edward Perry. However, the hospital had become too small and outdated to serve the community’s needs fully.
Through the efforts of many area civic groups, Wheatley-Provident was replaced by Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital. On June 12, 1972, the last patients of Wheatley-Provident were moved to the new hospital by the city. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital survived for another decade, but due to declining admissions, it closed its doors permanently in 1983.
Black Archives of Mid-America
2033 Vine Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
816-483-1300
