Frederick Brown Donates Half Million Dollar Site for New York Federation Building

Frederick Brown, noted philanthropist, announced the gift of a $500,000 property at 67 to 71 West Forty-Seventh Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, New York, on which, by the terms of his contribution, a sixteen-story office building housing the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies and those of its ninety-one constituent agencies requiring central executive offices downtown will be erected.

Many of the workers in the Federation, particularly in the Real Estate Club of the Federation, according to Mr. Brown, have felt the need of a club house, and the building, in addition to its other uses, will serve for social gatherings, luncheon meetings, conferences and similar affairs. The building also will serve as a memorial to men who have contributed to communal life of the city.

Mr. Brown, whose contribution of $1,000,000 last year to the Federation set a new standard in local Jewish philanthropy, made the offer during a week end conference at Briarcliff Lodge Hotel to a group of leaders in charitable endeavor, on condition that a sufficient sum be raised from other sources for the reception of a Federation Building on the site. G. Richard Davis, president of the Real Estate Club of the Federation, among those present at the conference, stated that he was certain that the Real Estate Club would be enthusiastically behind the project and would undertake immediately the raising of the funds required for the erection of the building.

The property donated by Mr. Brown. on the north side of Forty-Seventh Street, is 63 by 100 feet. Mr. Brown expressed the opinion that if the Federation and the various agencies in the Federation which now have office space in widely scattered districts could be together in one building it would make for the better coordination of the work of these affiliated societies, which likewise could find housing accommodations in such a building. Nearly $40,000 is now being paid each year by the Federation for rent. By the erection of such a building an additional amount would be earned in rentals from other tenants which would meet to a very large degree the cost of administration of the Business Men’s Council, the money raising agency of the Federation. The Business Men’s Council, the Real Estate Club and other constituent groups of the Federation, are to have their headquarters in the proposed building.

$5,000,000 FUND FOR HEBREW UNION COLLEGE, OKO, RETURNING FROM ABROAD, DECLARES

Adolph S, Oko, librarian of the Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, returned from Europe on the Berengaria Tuesday. He stated he had been abroad on a mission which would result in “an important announcement” soon. Mr. Oko said he was not at liberty to go into details before consulting associates, but binted that the development pertained to the movement to raise $5,000,000 for the Hebrew Union College.