St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-07-06
Building Dedicated;

| sHfW " NsAAg heANs
300 persons were present when I
new, modern home for the Nation
al Urban League, the nation
oldest and largest interracial so
cial service agency, was dedicated
Monday, June 10, during two
hour ceremony at the new head
quarters. II East 18th Street
which featured greetings from
President Eisenhower.
From President Eisenhower
The President declared In his
telegram 10 Robert w. Bowling
that the new building win stand
as symbol OF a belief in the in
diudual citizens dignity and his
right 10 equality belief which
has inspired the Leagues efforts
for nearly fifty years. ! applaud
your organization contribution 10
continuing progress in the lower
ing Of racial barriers"
DR.. Ralph J. Bunche, United
Nations Under Secretary, who
headed an honorary dedication
committee Of $50 persons, empha-
sized the importance Of the "dedi-
Gated effort and teamwork on the
part Of American citizens, both
white and Negro. through the Ur-
ban League 10 give ever more
meaning and seality TO the Ameri-
can ideal Of equal opportunity for
all"
Mayor Robert r. Wagner Of
New York city brought greetings
10 the audience and told them that
he had proclaimed June 10 az
Urban League Day.
Robert w. Bowling, National
Urban League president presided.
Henry steeger League trustee,
was chairman Of the Dedication
Program Committee.
Mr. Bowling called the building
IAN expression Of the continuity
Of endeavor. II gives us a feeling
OF visual substantially"
Rosenwald's Daughter Speaks
The principal address was de-
livered by Mrs. David NJ Levy,
president Of the Citizens Com
mittee for Children OF New York,
and daughter of the late philan-
thropist julius Rosenwald Mrs.
Levy spoke of her fathers role in
the development OF schools and
YMCAs for Negroes in the South,
Describing the progress made in
the last four decades Mrs, Levy
said, To-day we strive for an in
tegrated program and welcome
the closing OF each segregated
center. There are the two specific
projects-the rural schools and
the Negro YMCA's with which my
fathers name Is particularly
identified"
But, Mrs. Levy continued,
there was no facet OF the problem
that did not engage his interest.
Even before his death in 1892 he
was aware that the Negro share
cropper was feeling the added bur
den OF farm mechanization and
was being forced to leave the land
that had meant home TO him for
generations"
Three founders Of the Urban
League were presented TO the
audience: DR., George Edmund
Haynes, lecturer in the School OF
Education. New York City Col
lege; DR. Abraham Lefkowitz,
former principal OF Samuel ]. TIL
den High School In Brooklyn; and
DR. Edward Ewing Pratt. profess
sor OF Foreign Trade at New York
University.
Reverend John LaFarge, s. j.,
associate editor OF AMERICA,
gave the invocation, and Rabbi
Abraham ]. Feldmau. president OF
Synagogue Council Of America,
pronounced the beuediction.
\ dcdicatory prayer was Of
fcrcd by Reverend John n. John
son, Rector Of 81. Marks EpIsco-
pal church. Miss Louise Parker.
contralto, sang the hymn. BLESS
This House"
John u. Rockefeller III, on be,
half Of his brother. Winthrop, a
longtime trustee, whose grant OF
100000 made possible the &C,
QUESTION OF the new building, pre-,
scented TO two great grandchildren
OF League founders, Fred II
Moore and Mrs. Ruth StaRdisf
Baldwin keys 60 the building OF
a future free from prcjudiccs and
discrimination Recipients OF IN,
keys, which also open the doors
90 the new building were Lester