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Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools Special Resource Study

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Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools Special Resource Study Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools Special Resource Study Innovative and highly significant American philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and the thousands of “Rosenwald Schools” he helped build between 1912 and 1932 had a key impact on the education of African American children in the South. The story of Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools is an important and inspirational one, reflecting the dignity of the human spirit and bearing on both Jewish American and African American history. Their contributions to our nation are worthy of recognition and preservation. A new National Historical Park consisting of some of these structures and telling these compelling stories would be an important enhancement to the National Park System. Julius Rosenwald’s Life and Philanthropy and the Rosenwald Schools Program Born in Springfield, IL, in 1862 to German Jewish immigrant parents, Rosenwald left high school before graduating to learn the clothing trade in New York, then moved to Chicago where he rose through the Midwest clothing manufacture industry to become part-owner of Sears, Roebuck, & Company in 1895. He helped build the company into the merchandising powerhouse in the early 20th century. Already a dedicated philanthropist prior to meeting Booker T. Washington and joining the board of the Tuskegee Institute, Rosenwald followed Washington’s advice and helped fund a pilot program to build six schools for African Americans in rural Alabama. This led to the construction of over 5300 Rosenwald Schools and related buildings in 15 southern states funded jointly by Rosenwald, the local communities and local governments. By 1932, these schools were responsible for educating about one-third of African-American children in the South. Notable alumni include Rep. John Lewis and poet Maya Angelou. About 500 of these buildings survive today. The Julius Rosenwald Fund also provided fellowships to nearly 900 highly promising people, often at the start of their careers, including Marian Anderson, Ralph Bunche, Langston Hughes, Charles Drew, Jacob Lawrence, James Baldwin and Woody Guthrie. Rosenwald also helped many others in need, always investing in people. Julius Rosenwald, and the people in whom he invested, made a powerful contribution to our country. The Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools Study Act of 2019 (H.R. 3250 and S. 1863) The Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools Act of 2019 was introduced jointly in the House (H. R. 3250) by Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) and Senate (S. 1863) by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) on June 13, 2019. It would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the sites associated with Rosenwald’s life and legacy, with a special focus on the Rosenwald Schools. The study would specifically look at the suitability and feasibility of the sites for inclusion in a Park consisting of a visitor center in Chicago and a small but representative sample of Rosenwald schools to be selected by the National Park Service from among the 55 schools and one teacher home nominated to the Rosenwald Park Campaign by the State Historic Preservation Officers in 14 states. The study would be the key first step in passing legislation to establish the ultimate Park. Notably, this Park would be the first of the over 400 National Park units to honor a Jewish American. The bills have bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Currently there are 43 cosponsors of H.R. 3250 and nine of S. 1863. They represent 19 States and the District of Columbia, which demonstrates the national support for the Act. Twenty four non-profit organizations representing a broad cross-section of our nation support the legislation. A hearing was held on H.R. 3250 on October 29, 2019, and the mark- up of the Bill was passed by unanimous consent by the House Natural Resources Committee on March 11, 2020. A hearing on S. 1863 took place on March 4, 2020. .
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  • The Rural School Project of the Rosenwald Fund, 1934-1946
    Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Educational Policy Studies Dissertations Department of Educational Policy Studies 5-15-2015 The Rural School Project of the Rosenwald Fund, 1934-1946 Rebecca Ryckeley Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/eps_diss Recommended Citation Ryckeley, Rebecca, "The Rural School Project of the Rosenwald Fund, 1934-1946." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2015. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/eps_diss/133 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Educational Policy Studies at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Educational Policy Studies Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ACCEPTANCE This dissertation, THE RURAL SCHOOL PROJECT OF THE ROSENWALD FUND, 1934- 1946, by REBECCA HOLLIS RYCKELEY, was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s Dissertation Advisory Committee. It is accepted by the committee members in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, Doctor of Philosophy, in the College of Education, Georgia State University. The Dissertation Advisory Committee and the student’s Department Chairperson, as representatives of the faculty, certify that this dissertation has met all standards of excellence and scholarship as determined by the faculty. The Dean of the College of Education concurs. _________________________________ Deron Boyles,
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  • The Ciesla Foundation Presents a Film by Aviva Kempner
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  • The History, Architecture, and Preservation of Rosenwald Schools in Georgia
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  • Analysis of Sites in Chicago Associated with Julius Rosenwald
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  • Julius Rosenwald
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  • Guide to the Julius Rosenwald Papers 1905-1963
    University of Chicago Library Guide to the Julius Rosenwald Papers 1905-1963 © 2009 University of Chicago Library Table of Contents Descriptive Summary 3 Information on Use 3 Access 3 Citation 3 Biographical Note 3 Scope Note 6 Related Resources 7 Subject Headings 7 INVENTORY 8 Series I: Subject Files 8 Series II: Notebooks 73 Subseries 1: Biographical Notebooks 74 Subseries 2: Springfield Notebooks 74 Subseries 3: Chronological Notebooks 75 Subseries 4: Index and Digest Notebooks 78 Subseries 5: Subject Index Notebooks 79 Series III: Addenda 81 Subseries 1: Julius Rosenwald Fund 81 Sub-subseries 1: Reports for the following meetings held by the Julius Rosenwald81 Fund Sub-subseries 2: Internal reports submitted for the information of the Trustees,84 concerning the Fund’s activities Sub-subseries 3: Reports of suggestions submitted to the Trustees for consideration84 Subseries 2: Correspondence; Miscellany 85 Subseries 3: Correspondence; Tributes 86 Series IV: Scrapbooks 87 Descriptive Summary Identifier ICU.SPCL.ROSENWALDJ Title Rosenwald, Julius. Papers Date 1905-1963 Size 35 linear feet (62 boxes, 16 scrapbooks) Repository Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A. Abstract Julius Rosenwald, businessman and philanthropist. The papers of Julius Rosenwald contain correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, memorabilia, and a 1963 Rosenwald family tree. The collection documents Rosenwald's deep sense of social responsibility and commitment to philanthropic and civic endeavors, in particular his support of rural schools for African Americans, higher education, Jewish charities, and medical care. The collection also includes reports and minutes of the Julius Rosenwald Fund (1928-1933) and sixteen scrapbooks containing correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia that reflect Rosenwald's progressive reform activities, including support for the Tuskegee Institute, Howard University, World War I relief efforts in Illinois, and early development of the NAACP.
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