the first seven years. YMCAs for African Americans In 1910, the YMCA asked Rosenwald to fund a proposal for a new building in Chicago; Rosenwald replied that he would contribute only if a center for African Americans were also constructed. The result was the Wabash Avenue YMCA, opened in 1914, which would later become an historic landmark. The Wabash "Y" greatly aided blacks' integration into Chicago during the Great Migration. It is still operating today. Rosenwald went on to offer challenge grants to cities across the United States to build YMCAs for African Americans. Rosenwald promised to give $25,000 to any city that could raise $75,000 to build a YMCA for African Americans. Between 1911 and 1933, Rosenwald provided over $600,000 toward the building of 25 YMCAs in 24 cities across the United States, including one in Harlem. Samuel Reshevsky Rosenwald was the patron of chess prodigy Samuel Reshevsky. He encouraged Reshevsky to earn a university degree so as not to be completely dependent upon chess for his living. Reshevsky did so, earning his degree in accounting from the University of Chicago. County Extension Rosenwald gave $1000 grants to the first 100 counties in the U.S. to hire County Extension Agents, helping the United States Department of Agriculture launch a program that was highly valuable to rural Americans. He was also the principal founder and backer for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, to which he gave over $5 million and served as the president (1927–1932). Death and legacy Rosenwald died at his home in the Ravinia section of Highland Park, Illinois, on January 6, 1932. His bust was created in bronze, and it was among those of eight honored industry magnates which were installed between the Chicago River and the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago, Illinois. During World War II the Liberty ship was built in Panama City, Florida, and named in his honor. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1992. A 2015 film Rosenwald directed by Aviva Kempner documents his life and philanthropy. A Chicago Public School system elementary school, located at 2601 W 80th Street on Chicago's Southwest Side, was named after Rosenwald in 1952. Rosenwald's boyhood home, which is part of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, was renamed in his honor in 2020. A plaque there commemorates his work. References Sources Ascoli, Peter M. Julius Rosenwald: