Rosenwald Schools in Wood County
Hawkins, Wood County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In the 1920s, black schoolchildren, mostly poor and rural, attended school in old dilapidated buildings with out-of-date textbooks. Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, in collaboration with African American educator Booker T. Washington, provided funding to build African American schools throughout the south, ranging from one- to seven-teacher units. The Rosenwald Fund came with numerous requirements, including financial support from local school authorities and private contributions. Fervent desire for education in the black community along with sacrifices and ingenuity resulted in millions of dollars raised for the project. By the time the program ended in 1932, over 5,300 schools were built in fifteen states. In Wood County, eight schools were built under the Rosenwald program. The one-teacher schools were McMillan, built during the 1923-24 school year and Reinhart, built from 1927-28. The two-teacher schools were Webster (1924-25), Lloyd (1927-28) and Winnsboro (1928-29). The Muddy Creek School, built during the 1921-22 school year, included a teacher’s home and a shop building, as did the Hawkins Rosenwald School built during the 1927-28 school year. In addition, the Fouke (Fauke) School, built during the 1922-23 school year, included a teacher’s home. Oral interviews revealed that the Fouke School was altered and renovated, and now is the Fouke Community Center. Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington provided the plan and financial assistance but the black community and local governments brought their plan to fruition with their determination for education. (2012)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the 1920s, Black children across the rural South studied in dilapidated schoolhouses until Sears president Julius Rosenwald, working with educator Booker T. Washington, seeded a fund to build better ones. Communities matched the grants with their own money and labor; by the time the program ended in 1932, more than 5,300 Rosenwald schools stood in fifteen states, including eight in Wood County. Local families gave money and sweat to raise schools like Hawkins, Muddy Creek, and Fouke.
Why it matters
The Rosenwald schools were a landmark act of Black self-determination and philanthropy that expanded education for a generation of African American children denied it elsewhere.
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Related people
- · Julius Rosenwald
- · Booker T. Washington
Themes & tags
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