Rosenwald Fund facts for kids

The Rosenwald Fund was a special organization started in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family. Julius Rosenwald was a very successful businessman who helped run Sears, Roebuck and Company. The fund was created to help "the well-being of mankind," meaning it aimed to do good things for people.

How the Fund Worked

Most foundations are set up to last forever, using only the interest from their money. But the Rosenwald Fund was different. It was designed to spend all of its money by a certain date. This meant it gave away a lot of money quickly to make a big impact.

The fund gave over $70 million to many different places. This included public schools, colleges, universities, museums, Jewish charities, and organizations that helped African Americans. All the money was spent by 1948.

Building Schools for African American Children

One of the biggest things the Rosenwald Fund did was help build schools for African American children in rural areas, especially in the South. At that time, schools were separated by race (segregated), and schools for Black children often didn't get enough money. This was even worse after many Black people lost their right to vote in the early 1900s.

The fund gave over $4.4 million to help build more than 5,000 schools. These were often one-room schools, but also larger ones, plus shops and homes for teachers. To get the money, white school boards had to agree to run the schools and find some matching funds. Black communities also had to help by raising money, donating land, or providing labor to build the schools.

These schools were designed by architects from Tuskegee University. They became known as "Rosenwald Schools." Today, some of these old school buildings are still standing and are recognized as important landmarks because of their history and meaning.

Helping Artists and Thinkers

From 1928 to 1948, the Rosenwald Fund also gave special grants, called fellowships, directly to African American artists, writers, researchers, and thinkers. These grants helped many talented people pursue their work.

A civil rights leader named Julian Bond once said that the list of people who received these grants was like a "Who's Who of black America in the 1930s and 1940s." This means many of the most important and influential Black Americans of that time received support from the fund.

Hundreds of people got these grants, including famous photographers like Gordon Parks, writers like Ralph Ellison and Langston Hughes, singers like Marian Anderson, and thinkers like W.E.B. Du Bois and Katherine Dunham. Psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark also received fellowships. These grants were usually between $1,000 and $2,000 each year and allowed people to work on their projects without financial worry.

Notable fellowship recipients

Many important people received fellowships from the Rosenwald Fund between 1928 and 1948. These grants helped them achieve great things in their fields, from arts and literature to science and social justice.

See also

In Spanish: Fondo Rosenwald para niños

• Rosenwald Schools
• Rosenwald (film)
• Julian Mack
• Henry H. Rogers
• Booker T. Washington