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Published During the College Year by the Students of Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia
VOL. VIII
January 15, 1932
Number 4
Julius Rosenwald Tund
Schooliioijse Construction Map
5295 COMPLETED BUILDINGS
JULY i, 193i.
Julius Rosenwald
Edna L. Banks, ’35
It was an unselfish passion that caused
Julius Rosenwald to dedicate his life and
financial means to the “betterment of man
kind'’, truly a noble act coming from a big
soul, broad in interests and attitudes.
In the passing of Julius Rosenwald we
as Negroes have lost indeed a great friend,
one who came in our hour of direst need,
inspiring us by his liberal contributions
with assets of over $20,000,000 to the estab
lishment and development of our various
educational institutions. One can readily see
the true friendship in his generous nature, a
friendship which has given the impulse for
many of our youthful aspirations. lie was
an idealistic philanthropist confining him
self primarily to the education of the masses
in things fundamental, thereby enabling youth
to begin life with interest and to make of
it what their opportunities permit.
The total of his benefactions exceeds
$40,000,000. The sum of $21,508,030 has
been tabulated from incomplete records since
the beginning of the century. Through an
endowment of 200,000 shares of Scars, Roe
buck stock worth $20,000,000, he created the
Rosenwald Foundation. With him, philan
thropy was a business. Originality and
clear ideas guided him in the use of his
wealth for the good of mankind. He stipu
lated that by the end of twenty-five years
the last endowment be fully disbursed.
Each of the 5,000 Rosenwald Schools
received one-third or one-fourth of their en
dowment, the remainder must be supplied
by the beneficiaries of the schools and tax
payers, that their interests may be main
tained.
Julius Rosenwald was born in Springfield,
Illinois, August 12, 1802. He founded his
foitune in the clothing business. At a verv
early age he was a clothier’s clerk, an owner
of a Fifth Avenue shop in New York City
at the age of twenty-one, and a manufact
urer in Chicago at the age of twentv-three.
His work was conscientious, hi> progress
steady. In 1895 he bought a half interest
in the company through whose success he
realized his greatest desire, which was to
combat racial and religious intolerance and
to educate and rehabilitate the poor and
needy of many lands. A man of far-reach
ing humanitarian activities, he was an out
standing citizen, and patriot, and a patron
of arts.
Ours has been a rough and difficult climb
ing where even the thorns have been thrust
in our paths that they might pierce our
feet, leaving our blood in the dust. As we
have climbed the rough and precarious as
cents of modern civilization, we have felt
the sustaining hand of those like Mr. Rosen
wald who have encouraged us, ever point
ing us onward. Advance and grow as we
may, our thanks and our thoughts go back
to those who have our interests at heart and
who encourage our earnest efforts to help
America maintain her position in education.
Spelman students recall Mr. Rosenwald’s
visit to Spelman during the year 1928. and
his personal contributions to our endowment
fund. Within recent years six Spelman stu
dents and faculty members have received
Rosenwald fellowships. Ills modesty, friend
liness and warmth of feeling, unusual in
one of so great wealth, have been instilled
within our hearts. His dealings portrayed
his staunchness of character and humaui-
tarianism. He often minimized his own busi
ness sagacity by saying that it was only luck.
On January (5th, a great man passed on,
a true philosophic heart beats no more. In
the shadow a glow is still seen. The fruits
ot his glorious work must live and produce
tin* good that grows into greater good. Hi-
challenge is to all youth to us.