I came across this little article in the March 9, 1929 issue of the Jackson Daily News while looking for something else a while back, and thought it would be nice to honor once again, vicariously, the contribution of Julius Rosenwald to education in Mississippi and throughout the South.

Negroes Plan for Rosenwald Day

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State’s Schools to Hold Programs March 22 To Honor Philanthropist

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March 22 is to be observed as Rosenwald School Day in Mississippi in the 3,416 negro schools of the state, when special programs covering all phases of negro education and community endeavor will be presented, it was announced Saturday from the state department of education by W.C. Strahan and P.H. Easom, state agents for rural education.

Julius Rosenwald, Chicago philanthropist and founder of the Rosenwald Fund which has aided construction of modern school plants for southern negroes, teachers’ homes and industrial buildings, will be honored on this day. In the future, this fund, it is stated, will increase its range of service to negroes when industrial high schools, institutions of higher learning, health improvement, and libraries will be projected under its auspices. The fund is administered by a board of directors headed by Dr. Edwin R. Embree and Alfred K. Stern, assisted by S.L. Smith, Nashville, Tenn.

General Program Outlined

As outlined, the same general program will be followed in every section of the state, and negro leaders and interested white persons as well will participate. Addresses on community achievements and needs will be given with the usual exercises by negro school students.

A feature of the program will be a school report sent out by the state department which is to be filled in and returned to the state heads by principals and teachers, giving grades on grounds, buildings, equipment and organization, which will permit the department to score each school, in the state.

State Is Second in Schools

More than $3,000,000 from the Rosenwald fund has been expended in 14 Southern states during 1927-28 for schoolhouse construction, $450,785 being used in Mississippi toward 447 new schools, 45 homes and seven shops.

Mississippi leads all states in the number of teachers’ homes, ranks second in negro schools and ties for first in shops. In these latter negro children receive instruction in agriculture and farm mechanics as well as home science. Though the state ranks second in the amount of funds obtained from the Rosenwald Foundation, in public contributions it is in sixth place, according to data in the state department of education offices.

The state agents for negro education anticipate a successful observance of the special day and believe it will serve as a stimulus to expansion of the work in Mississippi.

Jackson (Miss.) Daily News, March 9, 1929, p. 12

For more on Rosenwald Schools in Mississippi:

• 2013 Rosenwald Grants
• Bynum School: The last one-classroom Rosenwald in MS?
• Katrina Survivors: Randolph School, Pass Christian
• Fisk University Rosenwald Fund Card File Database
• Rosenwald Schools in Mississippi

Categories: African American History, Schools