Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Campaign

Protect and Preserve the Legacy of Julius Rosenwald
and the Rosenwald Schools

Dear President Biden,

I write to respectfully request that you utilize your authority under the Antiquities Act to designate a National Monument commemorating the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald and the impact of Rosenwald Schools.

The son of German Jewish immigrants, Julius Rosenwald helped make Sears, Roebuck & Company the retailing powerhouse of the early twentieth century and then used his enormous wealth to become a visionary philanthropist. He partnered first with Booker T. Washington and then with nearly 5,000 African American communities in 15 Southern states during the segregated era to build schools for children who previously had little or no access to the public education to which they were entitled. The schools educated over 600,000 children, including Congressman John Lewis and poet Maya Angelou. They helped to give those young people a way out of no way.

I recommend that the National Monument consist of the San Domingo Rosenwald School in Wicomico County, Maryland, and an easement on the exterior of the Nichols Tower in the former Sears, Roebuck & Company headquarters in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.

It is important that the National Monument contain a site in Chicago. The story of Julius Rosenwald and his inspiring philanthropy began with his partnership with Richard Sears to convert a struggling catalog company into the preeminent retailer of the twentieth century.

This remarkable story pays tribute to the American belief in the power of education as an equalizing force and an engine of opportunity. It honors also the energy and resilience of the communities that partnered with Rosenwald. The partnerships that Julius Rosenwald forged in business and in his philanthropy are representative of values that made – and make --America great.

Ensuring that this story not be lost and telling it to generations to come is a step toward building the stronger and more cohesive nation to which we all aspire.  The best place to do this is in a National Monument designated in 2024.

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