2 3 ▁in ▁Kansas ▁City , ▁Missouri , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁raised . ▁He ▁met ▁Frank ▁Lloyd ▁Wright ▁who ▁was ▁commission ed ▁by ▁the ▁artist ' s ▁great - un cle , ▁the ▁Rev . ▁B urr is ▁Jenkins ▁( wh ose ▁own ▁mot to ▁was ▁to ▁" live ▁danger ously ") ▁to ▁re build ▁his ▁church ▁in ▁Kansas ▁City , ▁Missouri ▁after ▁a ▁fire . ▁( W right ▁suggested ▁that ▁Jenkins ▁should ▁think ▁about ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁agricult ure ▁rather ▁than ▁art .) ▁The ▁young ▁Jenkins ▁also ▁visited ▁Thomas ▁Hart ▁Bent on ▁and ▁conf ided ▁his ▁intention ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁painter . ▁The ▁Eastern ▁art ▁collection ▁of ▁the ▁Nelson - At kins ▁Museum ▁( then , ▁the ▁William ▁Rock hill ▁Nelson ▁Art ▁Gallery ) ▁had ▁an ▁early ▁influence ▁on ▁him . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁te en age ▁years , ▁Jenkins ▁moved ▁to ▁Str uth ers , ▁Ohio ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁his ▁mother , ▁N ady ne ▁Her rick , ▁and ▁step father , ▁who ▁both ▁ran ▁the ▁local ▁newspaper , ▁the ▁H omet own ▁Journal ▁( then ▁the ▁Str uth ers ▁Journal ). ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Str uth ers ▁High ▁School , ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Mar itime ▁Service ▁and ▁entered ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Naval ▁Air ▁Corps ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁where , ▁on ▁the ▁G . I . ▁Bill , ▁he ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁Art ▁Stud ents ▁League ▁of ▁New