LeRoy Winbush facts for kids

LeRoy Winbush (born in 1915, died in 2007) was a talented American graphic designer. He was especially famous for creating amazing window displays that caught people's eyes.

Early Life and Education

LeRoy Winbush was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1915. He spent his early years in Detroit. When he was about 14, his family moved to Chicago. There, he finished high school at Englewood High.

Starting His Career

LeRoy Winbush started his career in Chicago in 1936. He first learned how to paint signs. Soon, he was designing signs, large wall paintings (murals), and flyers for the Regal Theater. This experience helped him become an art director for Goldblatt's department store. He was the first Black employee in this role. He started in the sign shop and worked his way up. Eventually, he became the Art Director, leading a team of about 60 people.

Winbush Associates

In 1945, Winbush started his own company called Winbush Associates. He was known as a very successful businessman. One of his big achievements was creating a new market. He designed special window displays for banks in Chicago.

Work with Magazines

Winbush also worked as an art director for Consolidated Manufacturing. He also worked for Johnson Publishing, a very important company. There, he designed the look and feel of many magazines. These included Negro Digest, Hue, Cooper, EBONY, Tan Confessions, and JET.

He didn't just design the pages. He also created the famous, handwritten-style logo for Jet Magazine. Other magazines he worked on included DUKE magazine. His designs for EBONY magazine even won an award from the Chicago Art Directors Club.

Teaching and Museums

LeRoy Winbush shared his knowledge by teaching. He taught communication design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He also taught at Columbia College Chicago. Starting in 1992, Winbush became a consultant for the DuSable Museum of African American History. He helped them with their designs and exhibits.

Breaking Barriers and Achievements

Winbush was the first Black member of the Art Directors Club of Chicago. It took him seven years of asking to join the club. Later, he even became the club's president. In 1959, he was the chairman of the International Design Conference in Aspen.

Winbush also helped design Illinois's exhibit for the 1964 World's Fair. Later in life, he became a passionate scuba diver. In 1985, he helped design an underwater reef at Epcot, a theme park.