The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-07
PhiIanthropist'S Last Rites
to Be Simple; Time,
Place Secret.
By United Press

~ tnte0 Pfees
CHICAGO, Jan. Julius Rosen-
valid, who peddled newspapers for
living as boy, died Wednesday,
Chicagos wealthiest citizen and
greatest philanthropist.
In his death, the 69-year-old
donor of more than $60,00O 900 from
the tremendous fortune built by his
merchandising genius left code
to guide those who seek to benefit
mankind with their wealth.
Give for the living" Rosenwald,
whose last thoughts were of his
charities, said. Those who seek
by perpetuities to create for them
selves a kind of Immortality will
fail, because no institution can live
forever"
All his endowments must be spent
within twenty-five years of his
death.
Started as NewsbOy
The Alger-like story of Rosen-
wald'S success was a saga of Amer
lean life. The boy who sold news
papers and chromos on the streets
of Springfield, Ill, and pumped
church organ at 5 cents an hour,
rose to Craftsmanship of the board
of Sears, Roebuck g. Co., the mail
order house he built.
But with success, came a
tremendous sense of the responsible
tiles of enormous wealth. More
perhaps than any other American,
RoSenwald studied the uses his
fortune would be put to, and
directed its flow back to the
channels from which it came.
Personally he was modest His
funeral will be characteristic of
this modesty. In accordance with
one of RoSenwald's last expressed
wishes, the time and place of the
services will be kept secret. Leasing
RoSenwald, his Oldest son, said the
ceremony would be conducted To-
day, but none but members of the
family and most intimate friends
would attend. The philanthropisU
asked that no flowers be sent.
OGnIuS III BUSINESS
Rosenwald'S genius of philan-
thropy was equaled only by his
genius of business. In both fields,
he was a pioneer with radical ideas.
He amaSsed his fortune by devel-
oping q new merchandising tech
nique.
When he entered the mail order
field its possibilities we're unex-
plotted. Rosenwald built the mail
order concern from tiny beginnings
to hundreds of millions of dollars
/ a year volume.
The Rosenwald fortune was
amassed through a revolutionary
change in the buying habits of
thousands of citizens. AS a mail
order magnate, Rosenwald taught
his customers they could buy easier
and cheaper from a printed cata-
log by mail than from the country
| store.
The Rosenwald philosophy of
philanthropy was as revolutionary.
Whereas previously wealth had been
| bestowed IN perpeCulCy, the CIllcagO
citizen realized the dangers of I'M
changing endowmentS.
Long List of Charities
Il believe more good can be &C
compliShed by expanding funds as
trustees find opportunity for con-
structive work, than by storing up
large sums of money for long peri
DDS of time" he said.
A partial list of his charities in
cluded:
Rosen valid fund. $4,000, 900;
Jewish colonization, 100000; in
dustrial museum, s5.000,o00 estab-
lishment Y. M. c. A. and Y. w. G. A.
Negro institutions, $625, 600; gifts to
University of Chicago, 5000 900;
contributions to 4,400 Negro rural
schools, s3,660,000; Negro housing,
Chicago, S2,700,000; Jewish theolog-
ical seminary, $4,000, 900; American
Jewish Agricultural Corporation,
S5,000,00
In addition he made numerous
private requests and contributions
to charity.