Police Bike Auction Los Angeles, Murrieta Valley High School Graduation 2022, List Of Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries, Articles W

By then the trust still had a 70% market share of the refined oil market but only 14% of the U.S. crude oil supply. [29] He later stated, "From the beginning, I was trained to work, to save, and to give. Rather than try to influence the price of crude oil directly, Standard Oil had been exercising indirect control by altering oil storage charges to suit market conditions. A. D. John. Rockefeller had entered the raucous oil business during the Civil War, when oil often sold for a dollar a gallon. Due to be drafted to serve the Union in the Civil War in 1863, the 23-year-old Rockefeller did what many men of means had done: He paid for someone to serve in his place. [117] He founded the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission in 1909,[114] an organization that eventually eradicated the hookworm disease,[118] which had long plagued rural areas of the American South. He became an assistant bookkeeper at age 16 and went into several business partnerships beginning at age 20, concentrating his business on oil refining. WebThe Rockefeller family (/ r k f l r /) is an American industrial, political, and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes.The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brothers John D. Rockefeller and William A. Rockefeller Jr., primarily through Standard Oil (the [32], In September 1855, when Rockefeller was sixteen, he got his first job as an assistant bookkeeper working for a small produce commission firm in Cleveland called Hewitt & Tuttle. 186365 Rockefeller builds his first oil refinery, near Cleveland. In 1972 Congress honored his contributions by creating a memorial parkway between Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, which bears his name. [76], Standard Oil moved its headquarters to New York City at 26 Broadway, and Rockefeller became a central figure in the city's business community. He was buried in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland.[136]. A Baptist preacher once encouraged him to "make as much money as he could, and then give away as much as he could". Billionaire John D. Rockefeller (July 8, 1839 to May 23, 1937) continues to rank as one of the richest men in modern times. [57] While competitors may have been unhappy, Rockefeller's efforts did bring American consumers cheaper kerosene and other oil by-products. He had an elder sister named Lucy and four younger siblings: William Jr., Mary, and twins Franklin (Frank) and Frances. In the aftermath, Rockefeller's control over the oil industry was somewhat reduced, but over the next 10 years the breakup proved immensely profitable for him. A major New York refiner, Charles Pratt and Company, headed by Charles Pratt and Henry H. Rogers, led the opposition to this plan, and railroads soon backed off. [39] Rockefeller went steadily ahead in business from there, making money each year of his career. In 1884, Rockefeller provided major funding for Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary in Atlanta for African-American women, which became Spelman College. [18] Religion was a guiding force throughout his life and he believed it to be the source of his success. He wrote in a letter to Nicholas Murray Butler on June 6, 1932, that his neither Rockefeller nor his parents or his father's father and mother's mother drank alcohol. American business magnate and philanthropist (18391937), For other people named John D. Rockefeller, see, Business partnership and Civil War service, Strike of 191314 and the Ludlow Massacre. [127], Rockefeller supported the passage of the 18th Amendment, which banned alcohol in the United States. By 1869 there was triple the kerosene refining capacity than needed to supply the market, and the capacity remained in excess for many years. It had become the richest, biggest, most feared business in the world, seemingly immune to the boom and bust of the business cycle, consistently making profits year after year. Rockefeller envisioned pipelines as an alternative transport system for oil and began a campaign to build and acquire them. American industrialist and philanthropist [17941877]. [citation needed], In 1864, Rockefeller married Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman (18391915), daughter of Harvey Buell Spelman and Lucy Henry. [23] In between the births of Lucy and John, Bill and his mistress and housekeeper Nancy Brown had a daughter named Clorinda who died young. This campaign used a combination of politics and science, along with collaboration between healthcare workers and government officials to accomplish its goals. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. WebJohn D. Rockefeller. Money making was considered by him a "God-given gift".[101]. While most refiners dumped oil byproducts into nearby rivers, Rockefeller wisely hired research-and-development men to produce waxes, paving materials, and detergents from the seemingly unmarketable sludge that was discarded. Mr. Rockefeller financed the construction of museums in Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone national parks. John D. Rockefeller, in full John Davison Rockefeller, (born July 8, 1839, Richford, New York, U.S.died May 23, 1937, Ormond Beach, Florida), American industrialist and philanthropist, founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. On this day in 1870, Rockefeller incorporated the company that would make him almost inconceivably rich and, in many ways, begin the modern age of oil. The overproducing of oil and the developing of new markets caused the price of oil to fluctuate wildly. We correct them as soon as they come to our knowledge. Standard Oil adapted by developing a European presence, expanding into natural gas production in the U.S., and then producing gasoline for automobiles, which until then had been considered a waste product. In 1879, the New York State Legislature's Hepburn Committee investigations into "alleged abuses" committed by the railroads uncovered the fact that Standard Oil was receiving substantial freight rebates on all of the oil it was transporting by railroad and was crushing Standard's competitors thereby. [3][4] Rockefeller was born into a large family in Upstate New York that moved several times before eventually settling in Cleveland. The Ohio businessman John D. Rockefeller entered the oil industry in the 1860s and in 1870, and founded Standard Oil with some other business partners. Omissions? [53], On January 10, 1870, Rockefeller abolished the partnership of Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler,[54] forming Standard Oil of Ohio. WebJohn D. Rockefeller was the richest man of his time but, used his wealth to improve our country. He came to associate the church with charity. If they refused his offer, he told them he would run them into bankruptcy and then cheaply buy up their assets at auction. [82], Upon his ascent to the presidency, Theodore Roosevelt initiated dozens of suits under the Sherman Antitrust Act and coaxed reforms out of Congress. Rogers, in particular, became one of Rockefeller's key men in the formation of the Standard Oil Trust. Alternate titles: John Davison Rockefeller. In 1870 Rockefeller and a few associates, a group that included American financier Henry M. Flagler, incorporated the Standard Oil Company (Ohio). [70] The public and the press were immediately suspicious of this new legal entity, and other businesses seized upon the idea and emulated it, further inflaming public sentiment. Clark initiated the idea of the partnership and offered $2,000 towards the goal. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He was an excellent debater and expressed himself precisely. Rockefellers benefactions during his lifetime totaled more than $500 million. Rockefeller had entered the raucous oil business during the Civil War, when oil often sold for a dollar a gallon. The Spelman Family, Rockefeller's in-laws, along with John Rockefeller were ardent abolitionists before the Civil War and were dedicated to supporting the Underground Railroad. [81] Amid the frenetic expansion, Rockefeller began to think of retirement. Most failed, but those who struck oil did not even need to be efficient. It supplied kerosene by tank cars that brought the fuel to local markets, and tank wagons then delivered to retail customers, thus bypassing the existing network of wholesale jobbers. John D. Rockefeller is reported to be the wealthiest man in America with about $150,000,000 and an income of $25,000 per day. [14][15][16] He was a devout Northern Baptist and supported many church-based institutions. He moved with his family to Moravia, New York, and, in 1851, to Oswego, New York, where he attended Oswego Academy. [85], Rockefeller and his son continued to consolidate their oil interests as best they could until New Jersey, in 1909, changed its incorporation laws to effectively allow a re-creation of the trust in the form of a single holding company. The Ohio businessman John D. Rockefeller entered the oil industry in the 1860s and in 1870, and founded Standard Oil with some other business partners. He paid towards the freedom of two slaves[102] and donated to a Roman Catholic orphanage. It added its own pipelines, tank cars, and home delivery network. [71] Its share of world oil refining topped out above 90% but slowly dropped to about 80% for the rest of the century. He quickly found success as it became the largest refinery in the area, and 186365 Rockefeller builds his first oil refinery, near Cleveland. After the war, he donated land for the United Nations headquarters, a gift that figured prominently in the decision to They thus established the first major U.S. trust and set a pattern of organization for other monopolies. These certificates became traded by speculators, thus creating the first oil-futures market which effectively set spot market prices from then on. [108] John and Laura donated money and supported the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary whose mission was in line with their faith based beliefs. Rockefeller gave $80million to the University of Chicago[111] under William Rainey Harper, turning a small Baptist college into a world-class institution by 1900. [27] As Rockefeller's wealth grew, so did his giving, primarily to educational and public health causes, but also for basic science and the arts. Within two years it is the largest refinery in the area. [86] The court ruled that the trust originated in illegal monopoly practices and ordered it to be broken up into 34 new companies. "John D. Rockefeller: Oil Baron and Philanthropist." WebJohn D. Rockefeller was the richest man of his time but, used his wealth to improve our country. The University of Chicago has long accorded John D. Rockefeller the official designation of "Founder," and that accolade may offer some historical compensation to Rockefeller's more conventional and hostile sobriquet of "robber baron." Rockefeller prevailed and the railroad sold its oil interests to Standard. [1] According to some methods of wealth calculation, Rockefeller's net worth over the last decades of his life would easily place him as the wealthiest known person in recent history. Barrels that cost $2.50 each ended up only $0.96 when Rockefeller bought the wood and had them built for himself. But it is the assertion that the Standard magnates gained their wealth by appropriating "the property of others" that most challenges our attention. While traveling the South, he would donate large sums of money to churches belonging to the Southern Baptist Convention, various Black churches, as well as other Christian denominations. [55], Part of this scheme was the announcement of sharply increased freight charges. [17] For advice, he relied closely on his wife Laura Spelman Rockefeller with whom he had five children. [67] By 1880, according to the New York World, Standard Oil was "the most cruel, impudent, pitiless, and grasping monopoly that ever fastened upon a country". WebThe Rockefeller family (/ r k f l r /) is an American industrial, political, and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes.The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brothers John D. Rockefeller and William A. Rockefeller Jr., primarily through Standard Oil (the The aggressive competitive practices of Standard Oil, which many regarded as ruthless, and the growing public hostility toward monopolies, of which Standard was the best-known, caused some industrialized states to enact antimonopoly laws and led to the passage by the U.S. Congress of the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890 (see also antitrust law). Born in upstate New York, Rockefeller entered the oil business by investing in a Cleveland, Ohio refinery in 1863. [44] In the kerosene industry, the company replaced the old distribution system with its own vertical system. In 1882, Rockefeller's lawyers created an innovative form of corporation to centralize their holdings, giving birth to the Standard Oil Trust. Ohio was especially vigorous in applying its state antitrust laws, and finally forced a separation of Standard Oil of Ohio from the rest of the company in 1892, the first step in the dissolution of the trust. [42] As he said, "God gave me money", and he did not apologize for it. [92], The strike, called in September 1913 by the United Mine Workers, over the issue of union representation, was against coal mine operators in Huerfano and Las Animas counties of southern Colorado, where the majority of CF&I's coal and coke production was located. Burton Folsom Jr. has noted: [H]e sometimes gave tens of thousands of dollars to Christian groups, while, at the same time, he was trying to borrow over a million dollars to expand his business. Great-grandson John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV served from 1985 until 2015 as a Democratic Senator from West Virginia after serving as governor of West Virginia,[100] and another Winthrop served as lieutenant governor of Arkansas for a decade. From the different reports and the different historians opinions, I feel that Rockefeller and his business negatively impacted society. The Supreme Court ruled in 1911 that Standard Oil must be dismantled for violation of federal antitrust laws. [40] In their first and second years of business, Clark & Rockefeller netted $4,400 (on nearly half a million dollars in business) and $17,000 worth of profit, respectively, and their profits soared with the outbreak of the American Civil War when the Union Army called for massive amounts of food and supplies. WebAfter dropping out of high school, taking one business class at Folsom Mercantile College, and working as a bookkeeper, Rockefeller establishes his first business, which supplies goods such as hay, grain, and meats. The companies' combined net worth rose fivefold and Rockefeller's personal wealth jumped to $900million. Rockefeller attended Baptist churches every Sunday; when traveling he would often attend services at African-American Baptist congregations, leaving a substantial donation. John D. Rockefeller was remembered for his wealth and for the aggressive competitive practices of the Standard Oil Company. [71], The company's vast American empire included 20,000 domestic wells, 4,000 miles of pipeline, 5,000 tank cars, and over 100,000 employees. As a percentage of the United States' GDP, no other American fortuneincluding those of Bill Gates or Sam Waltonwould even come close. WebTwo things about the oil industry, however, bothered Rockefeller right from the start: the appalling waste and the fluctuating prices. As a result, Rockefeller and his associates owned dozens of separate corporations, each of which operated in just one state; the management of the whole enterprise was rather unwieldy. Nine trustees, including Rockefeller, ran the 41 companies in the trust. In the aftermath of that battle, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania indicted Rockefeller in 1879 on charges of monopolizing the oil trade, starting an avalanche of similar court proceedings in other states and making a national issue of Standard Oil's business practices. Learn about John D. Rockefeller's historic-preservation of early American history at Williamsburg. To critics Rockefeller replied, "In a business so large as ours some things are likely to be done which we cannot approve. [a] Oil was used throughout the country as a light source until the introduction of electricity, and as a fuel after the invention of the automobile. [13], Rockefeller was also the founder of the University of Chicago and Rockefeller University and funded the establishment of Central Philippine University in the Philippines. Rockefeller called her "Miss Tarbarrel" in private but held back in public saying only, "not a word about that misguided woman. Within two years it is the largest refinery in the area. Though he had long maintained a policy of active silence with the press, he decided to make himself more accessible and responded with conciliatory comments such as "capital and labor are both wild forces which require intelligent legislation to hold them in restriction." Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He admitted that he had made no attempt to bring the militiamen to justice. He even gave dimes as a playful gesture to wealthy men, such as tire mogul Harvey Firestone. WebIn the 1860s John D. Rockefeller took note of the expansion of oil production in western Pennsylvania and built an oil refinery near Cleveland, Ohio, in 1863. While most refiners dumped oil byproducts into nearby rivers, Rockefeller wisely hired research-and-development men to produce waxes, paving materials, and detergents from the seemingly unmarketable sludge that was discarded. Osgood left the company in 1904 and devoted his efforts to operating competing coal and coke operations. In 1877, Standard clashed with Thomas A. Scott, the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Standard's chief hauler. Biographer Allan Nevins, answering Rockefeller's enemies, concluded: The rise of the Standard Oil men to great wealth was not from poverty. She also put up with his philandering and his double life, which included bigamy. Rockefeller later commented:[53]. Later in life he turned his attention to charity. The University of Chicago has long accorded John D. Rockefeller the official designation of "Founder," and that accolade may offer some historical compensation to Rockefeller's more conventional and hostile sobriquet of "robber baron." John D. Rockefeller is reported to be the wealthiest man in America with about $150,000,000 and an income of $25,000 per day. Rockefeller entered the fledgling Oil industry in 1863, by investing in a factory in Cleveland, Ohio. There was destitution in the coalfields. "[43] At that time, the Federal government was subsidizing oil prices, driving the price up from $.35 a barrel in 1862 to as high as $13.75. [108] John Rockefeller was impressed by the vision of the school and removed the debt from the school. Consequently, Rockefeller became the country's first billionaire, with a fortune worth nearly 2% of the national economy. It changed its name to Rockefeller University in 1965, after expanding its mission to include graduate education. Philanthropy Roundtable - Biography of John Rockefeller Sr. John D. Rockefeller - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), John D. Rockefeller - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The United States Commission on Industrial Relations conducted extensive hearings, singling out John D. Rockefeller Jr. and the Rockefellers' relationship with Bowers for special attention. I would have deplored the necessity which compelled the officers of the company to resort to such measures to supplement the State forces to maintain law and order." Standard Oil was the first great business trust in the United States. [112][113][16][14][15], Rockefeller's General Education Board, founded in 1903,[114] was established to promote education at all levels everywhere in the country. In February 1914, a substantial portion of the troops were withdrawn, but a large contingent remained at Ludlow. He also had a deep love of music and dreamed of it as a possible career. Under the protection of the National Guard, some miners returned to work and some strikebreakers, imported from the eastern coalfields, joined them as Guard troops protecting their movements. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Even with the high costs of freight transportation and a government levy during the Civil War (the government levied a tax of twenty cents a gallon on refined oil), profits on the refined product were large. WebROCKEFELLER, JOHN D. (8 July 1839-23 May 1937), industrialist and philanthropist, rose from his position as an assistant bookkeeper for a Cleveland commission merchant to become one of the wealthiest men in the U.S. through his efforts in developing the STANDARD OIL CO. Born on a farm near Richford, NY. What were John D. Rockefellers accomplishments? Public hostility toward monopolies, of which Standard was the best known, caused some countries to enact anti-monopoly laws. Public hostility toward monopolies, of which Standard was the best known, caused some countries to enact anti-monopoly laws. August 2, 1896 An article documents Rockefellers life and his rise to wealth, from poverty to possessing millions of dollars. His contemporaries described him as reserved, earnest, religious, methodical, and discreet. Rockefeller was also given the duties of collecting debts when Hewitt instructed him to do so. [19][20], Rockefeller was the second child born in Richford, New York, to con artist William A. Rockefeller Sr. and Eliza Davison. After the war, he donated land for the United Nations headquarters, a gift that figured prominently in the decision to [128], Henry Morrison Flagler, one of the co-founders of Standard Oil along with Rockefeller, bought the Ormond Hotel in 1890, located in Ormond Beach, Florida, two years after it opened. John D. Rockefeller was remembered for his wealth and for the aggressive competitive practices of the Standard Oil Company. 187072 Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870. [65] Despite improving the quality and availability of kerosene products while greatly reducing their cost to the public (the price of kerosene dropped by nearly 80% over the life of the company), Standard Oil's business practices created intense controversy. "[101], Rockefeller would support Baptist missionary activity, fund universities, and heavily engage in religious activities at his Cleveland, Ohio, church. He quickly found success as it became the largest refinery in the area, and Rockefeller had a long and controversial career in the oil industry followed by a long career in philanthropy. Rockefeller had entered the raucous oil business during the Civil War, when oil often sold for a dollar a gallon. [33] He worked long hours and delighted, as he later recalled, in "all the methods and systems of the office. [115] Rockefeller also provided financial support to such established eastern institutions as Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Vassar. That orderly, economic, efficient flow is what we now, many years later, call 'vertical integration' I do not know whether Mr. Rockefeller ever used the word 'integration'. [46] In this environment of a wasteful boom, the partners switched from foodstuffs to oil, building an oil refinery in 1863 in "The Flats", then Cleveland's burgeoning industrial area. She documented the company's espionage, price wars, heavy-handed marketing tactics, and courtroom evasions. Then he took a ten-week business course at Folsom's Commercial College, where he studied bookkeeping. [134], Rockefeller died of arteriosclerosis on May 23, 1937, less than two months shy of his 98th birthday,[135] at "The Casements", his home in Ormond Beach, Florida. Because of Rockefellers emphasis on economical operations, Standard prospered and began to buy out its competitors until, by 1872, it controlled nearly all the refineries in Cleveland. A devout Baptist, Rockefeller turned his attention increasingly during the 1890s to charities and benevolence; after 1897 he devoted himself completely to philanthropy. He made possible the founding of the University of Chicago and endowed major philanthropic institutions. [citation needed] The study, an excerpt of which was published in The Atlantic,[13] had been undertaken by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. However, his mother was more influential in his upbringing and beyond, while he distanced himself further and further from his father as his life progressed. [141], His wealth continued to grow significantly (in line with U.S. economic growth) as the demand for gasoline soared, eventually reaching about $900million on the eve of the First World War, including significant interests in banking, shipping, mining, railroads, and other industries. John D Rockefeller was a businessman who emerged as one of the men with largest fortune in history. In 1901, U.S. Steel, then controlled by J. Pierpont Morgan, having bought Andrew Carnegie's steel assets, offered to buy Standard's iron interests as well. "[49] He was well-positioned to take advantage of postwar prosperity and the great expansion westward fostered by the growth of railroads and an oil-fueled economy. [31] He was a well-behaved, serious, and studious boy despite his father's absences and frequent family moves. He complained that he could not stay asleep most nights. [58] Eventually, even his former antagonists, Pratt and Rogers, saw the futility of continuing to compete against Standard Oil; in 1874, they made a secret agreement with Rockefeller to be acquired. And God was good to me everyday. 187072 In less than four months in 1872, in what was later known as "The Cleveland Conquest" or "The Cleveland Massacre," Standard Oil absorbed 22 of its 26 Cleveland competitors. However, he did not intend to eliminate competition entirely. [142] According to his New York Times obituary, "it was estimated after Mr. Rockefeller retired from business that he had accumulated close to $1,500,000,000 out of the earnings of the Standard Oil trust and out of his other investments. "[84] He began a publicity campaign to put his company and himself in a better light. He quickly found success as it became the largest refinery in the area, and [94] Rockefeller denied any responsibility and minimized the seriousness of the event. I, 1879)", "Militia slaughters strikers at Ludlow, Colorado", "Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Foundation", "Text of Rockefeller's Letter to Dr. Butler", "John D. Rockefeller Sr. and family timeline", "John D Rockefeller:Infinitely Ruthless, Profoundly Charitable", "The Richest Man In History: Rockefeller is Born", "Financier's Fortune in Oil Amassed in Industrial Era of 'Rugged Individualism', "Toward a 'Universal Heritage': Education and the Development of Rockefeller Philanthropy, 18841913", Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, Standard Oil Co. v. United States (Standard Stations), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_D._Rockefeller&oldid=1138196481, American businesspeople in the oil industry, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from February 2021, Articles with incomplete citations from February 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with incomplete citations from May 2021, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Pages using Sister project links with wikidata namespace mismatch, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Alice Rockefeller (July 14, 1869 August 20, 1870), Public Diary of John D. Rockefeller, now found in the Cleveland Western Historical Society, This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 14:21. [36], As a youth, Rockefeller reportedly said that his two great ambitions were to make $100,000 (equivalent to $2.91million[37] in 2021 dollars) and to live 100 years. [133] Mr. Rockefeller financed the construction of museums in Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone national parks. [78] More threatening to Standard's power was the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, originally used to control unions, but later central to the breakup of the Standard Oil trust. John D Rockefeller was a businessman who emerged as one of the men with largest fortune in history. His company and business practices came under criticism, particularly in the writings of author Ida Tarbell . WebRockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and, through corporate and technological innovations, was instrumental in both widely disseminating and drastically reducing the production cost of oil.