William Rosenwald (1903–1996) was a prominent American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. Born into a wealthy Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, he was the son of Julius Rosenwald, co-founder and longtime president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and Augusta Nussbaum. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1924, followed by studies at Harvard University and the London School of Economics. Entering the world of investment, Rosenwald founded and chaired the American Securities Corporation, which under his guidance made significant investments in diverse industries, including notable stakes in companies like AMETEK and Western Union International, establishing his reputation as a savvy investor and business leader and contributing to his substantial personal wealth and influence in American business circles.

Rosenwald’s philanthropy mirrored and extended his father’s legacy. Julius Rosenwald had established the Rosenwald Fund, which funded the construction of over 5,000 schools for African American children in the rural South. William continued this tradition, co-founding and serving as National Chairman of the United Jewish Appeal in 1939, a nationwide organization that raised funds for Jewish relief and resettlement efforts during and after World War II, especially during and after the Holocaust. Through the William Rosenwald Family Fund, he directed substantial charitable grants to support education, health, Jewish causes, arts, libraries, and social services. A key figure in New York’s Jewish philanthropic networks, Rosenwald’s work connected business elites with nonprofit leadership, amplifying influence in both sectors.

As a family man, William was the father of Nina Rosenwald, who herself became a prominent philanthropist focused on conservative causes and anti-Islamist initiatives. His life bridged the worlds of high-stakes business and impactful philanthropy, leaving a lasting imprint on American economic and charitable landscapes until his death in 1996 at age 93.