Rosenwald School
Encyclopedia
A Rosenwald School was the name informally applied to over five thousand school
s, shops, and teachers' homes in the United States
which were built primarily for the education of African-Americans in the early twentieth century. The need arose from the chronic underfunding of public education for African-American children in the South, who were required to attend segregated schools. Julius Rosenwald
, an American clothier
who became part-owner and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company
, was the founder of The Rosenwald Fund
, through which he contributed seed money for many of the schools and other philanthropic
causes. To promote collaboration between white and black citizens, Rosenwald required communities to commit public funds to the schools, as well as to contribute additional cash donations. Millions of dollars were raised by African-American rural communities across the South to fund better education for their children. Despite Rosenwald's matching donations toward the construction of black schools, by the mid-1930s, white schools in the South were worth, per student, over five times what black schools were worth per student (in majority-black Mississippi, this ratio was more than 13 to one).
. His first business went bankrupt; however, another he began in Chicago, Illinois became a leading supplier to Richard Sears' business. Sears, Roebuck and Company was a growing mail-order business which served many rural Americans. Anticipating demand by using the variations of sizes in American men and their clothing determined during the American Civil War
, Rosenwald helped plan the growth in what many years later marketer
s would call "the softer side of Sears": clothing. In 1895, he became one of its investors, eventually serving as the president of Sears from 1908 to 1922. He was its chairman until his death in 1932.
After the 1906 reorganization of the Sears company as a public stock
corporation by the financial services firm of Goldman Sachs
, one of the senior partners, Paul Sachs, often stayed with the Rosenwald family at their home during his many trips to Chicago. Julius Rosenwald and Sachs would often discuss America's social situation, agreeing that the plight of African American
s was the most serious problem in the United States.
Sachs introduced Rosenwald to Booker T. Washington
, the famed educator who in 1881 had been the first principal of the normal school
which grew to become Tuskegee University
in Alabama. Dr. Washington, who had gained the respect of many American leaders including U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
, had also obtained financial support from wealthy philanthropists such as Andrew Carnegie
, George Eastman
and Henry Huttleston Rogers
. He encouraged Rosenwald, as he had others, to address the poor state of African-American education in the U.S.
In 1912, Rosenwald was asked to serve on the Board of Directors of Tuskegee, a position he also held for the remainder of his life. Rosenwald endowed
Tuskegee so that Washington could spend less time traveling to seek funding and devote more time towards management of the school. As urged by Dr. Washington, Rosenwald provided funds for the construction of six small schools in rural Alabama
, which were constructed and opened in 1913 and 1914 and overseen by Tuskegee.
in 1917 for "the well-being of mankind." Unlike other endowed foundations, which were designed to fund themselves in perpetuity, The Rosenwald Fund was intended to use all of its funds for philanthropic purposes. It donated over 70 million dollars to public schools, college
s and universities
, museum
s, Jewish charities
and black institutions before funds were completely depleted in 1948.
The school building program was one of the largest programs administered by the Rosenwald Fund. Using state-of-the-art architectural plans designed by professors at Tuskegee Institute http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/rosenwald-schools/, the Fund spent more than four million dollars to build 4,977 schools, 217 teachers' homes, and 163 shop buildings in 883 counties in 15 states, from Maryland to Texas. The Rosenwald Fund used a system of matching grants. Black communities raised more than $4.7 million to aid in construction http://ford.claiborneone.org/. These schools became known as "Rosenwald Schools." By 1932, the facilities could accommodate one- third of all African-American children in Southern schools.
named Rosenwald Schools near the top of the country's most endangered places http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=100899&ran=189503 and created a campaign to raise awareness and money for preservation.
Some schools have been put to new uses. Walnut Cove Colored School in Stokes County, North Carolina
won a National Preservation Honor Award for its rehabilitation for use as a senior citizen
s' community center. The Hope Rosenwald School
in Pomaria
, South Carolina
will be used as a community center, too. The Highland Park School in Prince George's County, Maryland
had been in continuous use by the school system. It was recently renovated for use as a Headstart Center. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
are the Freetown Rosenwald School
, Queenstown Rosenwald School
, and Lula G. Scott Community Center
.
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, shops, and teachers' homes in the United States
Education in the United States
Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Child education is compulsory.Public education is universally available...
which were built primarily for the education of African-Americans in the early twentieth century. The need arose from the chronic underfunding of public education for African-American children in the South, who were required to attend segregated schools. Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald was a U.S. clothier, manufacturer, business executive, and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for the Rosenwald Fund which donated millions to support the education of African American children in the rural South, as well...
, an American clothier
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
who became part-owner and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is a retail conglomerate formed in 2005 by the merger of Sears, Roebuck and Co., of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, with Kmart Holdings Corporation, of Troy, Michigan...
, was the founder of The Rosenwald Fund
Rosenwald Fund
The Rosenwald Fund was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind."...
, through which he contributed seed money for many of the schools and other philanthropic
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
causes. To promote collaboration between white and black citizens, Rosenwald required communities to commit public funds to the schools, as well as to contribute additional cash donations. Millions of dollars were raised by African-American rural communities across the South to fund better education for their children. Despite Rosenwald's matching donations toward the construction of black schools, by the mid-1930s, white schools in the South were worth, per student, over five times what black schools were worth per student (in majority-black Mississippi, this ratio was more than 13 to one).
Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) was a German-Jewish immigrant's son and became a clothier by trade, after learning the business from relatives in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His first business went bankrupt; however, another he began in Chicago, Illinois became a leading supplier to Richard Sears' business. Sears, Roebuck and Company was a growing mail-order business which served many rural Americans. Anticipating demand by using the variations of sizes in American men and their clothing determined during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Rosenwald helped plan the growth in what many years later marketer
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
s would call "the softer side of Sears": clothing. In 1895, he became one of its investors, eventually serving as the president of Sears from 1908 to 1922. He was its chairman until his death in 1932.
After the 1906 reorganization of the Sears company as a public stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
corporation by the financial services firm of Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
, one of the senior partners, Paul Sachs, often stayed with the Rosenwald family at their home during his many trips to Chicago. Julius Rosenwald and Sachs would often discuss America's social situation, agreeing that the plight of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s was the most serious problem in the United States.
Sachs introduced Rosenwald to Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
, the famed educator who in 1881 had been the first principal of the normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
which grew to become Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
in Alabama. Dr. Washington, who had gained the respect of many American leaders including U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, had also obtained financial support from wealthy philanthropists such as Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, George Eastman
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
and Henry Huttleston Rogers
Henry H. Rogers
Henry Huttleston Rogers was a United States capitalist, businessman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil....
. He encouraged Rosenwald, as he had others, to address the poor state of African-American education in the U.S.
In 1912, Rosenwald was asked to serve on the Board of Directors of Tuskegee, a position he also held for the remainder of his life. Rosenwald endowed
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
Tuskegee so that Washington could spend less time traveling to seek funding and devote more time towards management of the school. As urged by Dr. Washington, Rosenwald provided funds for the construction of six small schools in rural Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, which were constructed and opened in 1913 and 1914 and overseen by Tuskegee.
Rosenwald Fund
Julius Rosenwald and his family established the The Rosenwald FundRosenwald Fund
The Rosenwald Fund was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind."...
in 1917 for "the well-being of mankind." Unlike other endowed foundations, which were designed to fund themselves in perpetuity, The Rosenwald Fund was intended to use all of its funds for philanthropic purposes. It donated over 70 million dollars to public schools, college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s and universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, Jewish charities
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
and black institutions before funds were completely depleted in 1948.
The school building program was one of the largest programs administered by the Rosenwald Fund. Using state-of-the-art architectural plans designed by professors at Tuskegee Institute http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/rosenwald-schools/, the Fund spent more than four million dollars to build 4,977 schools, 217 teachers' homes, and 163 shop buildings in 883 counties in 15 states, from Maryland to Texas. The Rosenwald Fund used a system of matching grants. Black communities raised more than $4.7 million to aid in construction http://ford.claiborneone.org/. These schools became known as "Rosenwald Schools." By 1932, the facilities could accommodate one- third of all African-American children in Southern schools.
Preservation
In some communities, surviving structures have been preserved because of the deep meaning they had for African-Americans as symbols of their community dedication to education. Others were threatened by lack of funds in rural areas, changing style of education to consolidated and integrated schools, and other social changes. In 2002, the National Trust for Historic PreservationNational Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
named Rosenwald Schools near the top of the country's most endangered places http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=100899&ran=189503 and created a campaign to raise awareness and money for preservation.
Some schools have been put to new uses. Walnut Cove Colored School in Stokes County, North Carolina
Stokes County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 44,711 people, 17,579 households, and 13,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 19,262 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
won a National Preservation Honor Award for its rehabilitation for use as a senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
s' community center. The Hope Rosenwald School
Hope Rosenwald School
The Hope Rosenwald School, also known as Hope School, is a former school at 1971 Hope Station Road near Pomaria, South Carolina. As a Rosenwald School, it served rural African-American children in the early 20th century.-History:...
in Pomaria
Pomaria
Pomaria can refer to:* Pomaria, the Roman municipality on the site of modern Tlemcen, in Algeria* Pomaria, South Carolina, USA* Pomaria , on the list of NRHPs in South Carolina...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
will be used as a community center, too. The Highland Park School in Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
had been in continuous use by the school system. It was recently renovated for use as a Headstart Center. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
are the Freetown Rosenwald School
Freetown Rosenwald School
Freetown Rosenwald School is a historic Rosenwald school building in the historic African American community of Freetown at Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It is a simple, one-story, gable-roofed, rectangular frame building. The exterior walls are sheathed in aluminum siding and the...
, Queenstown Rosenwald School
Queenstown Rosenwald School
Queenstown Rosenwald School, also known as Sunnyside School, is a historic Rosenwald school building located at Severn in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It was built in 1932 and is a plain, one-story, frame building. The building contained two classrooms and a library...
, and Lula G. Scott Community Center
Lula G. Scott Community Center
Queenstown Rosenwald School is a historic Rosenwald school building located at Severn in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It consists of two frame, one-story, two-room plan schools originally built as the Shady Side and Churchton Rosenwald Schools...
.
See also
- Jane AddamsJane AddamsJane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
- Grace AbbottGrace AbbottGrace Abbott was an American social worker who specifically worked in advancing child welfare. Her elder sister was social worker Edith Abbott....
- Emil HirschEmil HirschEmil Gustav Hirsch was a major Reform movement rabbi in the United States.-Biography:Hirsch was born in Luxembourg, a son of the rabbi and philosopher Samuel Hirsch on May 22, 1851. He later married the daughter of Rabbi David Einhorn. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1872...
- Julian MackJulian MackJulian William Mack was a United States federal judge and social reformer.-Early life and education:...
- Beauregard Parish Training SchoolBeauregard Parish Training SchoolThe Beauregard Parish Training School in DeRidder, Louisiana, was a school for education of black students and for training of black teachers...
External links
- Diane Granat, Saving the Rosenwald Schools
- Rosenwald Schools Initiative sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
- History South: Rosenwald Schools
- Rosenwald Harlanites, Inc., non-profit organization created to preserve the legacy of the Rosenwald School in Harlan, Kentucky
- Shiloh Community Restoration Project, a non-profit organization created to restore the Shiloh-Rosenwald School