VOLUNTEER INDUCTEES

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR. (1874-1960)

The beginnings of the YMCA Retirement Fund go back to 1911, when a secretaries’ conference raised the idea. Five years later, formation of such a fund was authorized and in 1922 the Fund was begun, largely due to a major ($1 million) gift from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. By 1934, the Fund had survived the Depression and had assets of $15 million. In the years since, the Fund has enhanced the retirement security of tens of thousands of YMCA employees and has been a significant factor in the recruitment and retention of YMCA staff. That alone would assure a memorable place for Rockefeller in YMCA history, but this extraordinary philanthropist was a YMCA hero for other reasons as well. He contributed generously to the construction of YMCAs around the world.

JULIUS ROSENWALD (1862-1932)

A part owner and director of Sears Roebuck, Julius Rosenwald of Chicago was a philanthropist with a particular commitment to the welfare and education of the African-American community. He worked closely with Booker T. Washington and was a longtime board member of the Tuskegee Institute. In 1910, he offered $25,000 toward the construction of a YMCA for “colored men” for any city that would match his gift with $75,000. Rosenwald said there should be buildings in cities with “large numbers of
colored people” for their use, and he stated that there was “no organization better suited for this work than the Y.M.C.A.” Soon there were “Rosenwald YMCAs” in Washington, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Cincinnati, Columbus, Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis.