Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) founded the Museum of Science and Industry and built Sears Roebuck into America’s leading mail order house. But his most lasting legacy may be little known. Rosenwald, the son of German-Jewish immigrants, rose to become one of the wealthiest men in America as well as a beloved humanitarian whose commitment to social justice lead to historic change for Black Americans.


Inspired by Booker T. Washington, Rosenwald spurred the establishment of 25 YMCA-YWCAs to serve Black  Americans in cities across the U.S., including the Wabash Avenue YMCA in Chicago. (Existing Y’s at the time served only whites.) In addition, he established one of the nation’s first housing projects, on Chicago’s South Side, and, with challenge grants, seeded the creation of more
than 5,000 schools for black children in southern states at a time when few received any public education.