John Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller

September 27, 2011

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

John D. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870 along with his brother William Rockefeller and three other partners. He was born July 8, 1839 the second of six children. He was a very smart young man who excelled in mathematics. At the age of eighteen, he opened his first company, Clark, and Rockefeller; the company specialized in trading fish and grain. The first year that his company was opened he grossed four hundred fifty thousand dollars.

During his lifetime, John D. Rockefeller became a very wealthy man and was a philanthropist who gave more than 500 million to a number of charities. His goal was to give a tenth of his earnings to charity. He often looked to his Church for advice on whom to give his money. The church decided that they wanted a university so in 1892 he opened up Chicago University. He gave the university 80 million during his lifetime.

His money was mainly used in medical research, which helped to arrive at a cure for yellow fever and hookworm. Later in 1901 he went to New York City and chose it to be the home of his Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research (Rockefeller University). He established the General Education Board in 1902. He was married to Laura Celestia Spelman, they had five children four daughters and one son. He later died on May 23, 1937.

References

Chernow, R. (1998) Titan: The Life Of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. New York; NY: Random House.

Encyclopedia of World Biography: John D. Rockefeller Biography. Retrieved September 21, 2011, from website: http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pu-Ro/Rockefeller-John-D.html