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How many of us have secretly wondered what we would do with a million dollars if we suddenly were blessed with it. Some would vacation endlessly, some would quit their jobs, others would probably go out and buy something foolish, but just how many of us would turn it into more money then judiciously give it away? My guess is not very many, and although real wealth will probably always be beyond any of our imaginations it was a reality for one man. For some of us, just the idea of having enough money to actually save is a mere figment in the recesses of our minds, but for one man this was not only a dream it was reality. The man was John D. Rockefeller and he was so wealthy that his wealth surpassed that of Bill Gates’ today. Rockefeller is a household name, but probably few of us know how he became history’s richest man or what type of man he was. Some said that he became rich by being ruthless and always bettering his opponents through questionable tactics, others thought him to be a miser rarely spending his money, yet those who really knew him said he was a wonderful generous man who was quite enjoyable to be around. Ron Chernow’s biography Titan, is about Rockefeller, his fascinating journey, his family life and his questionable business practices. Chernow spent years researching and writing this book. The Rockefeller papers had been open to the public since the mid-1970’s, but no one had taken up the challenge of writing anything about the world’s wealthiest man until Chernow did in the mid-1990’s. In a recent lecture Chernow talked of Rockefeller with such fondness that one felt as if he knew him. I, too, felt this same fondness not because of the wealth or the ruthlessness in business, but in the kindness he showed to many people in need, and the loyalty he showed to his home church by always paying tithes regardless of his financial status. Rockefeller even made church attendance a priority. He insisted that his children grow up without a sense of wealth, but one of hard work and morals. All of these characteristics are part of what makes Rockefeller such an intriguing man. He didn’t display these characteristics as a result of wealth, he felt that he acquired his wealth as a result of them. So much of Rockefeller’s life is an incredible story, in Titan one discovers that he had a bigamist father who led two separate lives, that Rockefeller’s frugality was amazing in comparison to his wealth, that he had great benevolence throughout his entire life and that Rockefeller personally established and then financed the University of Chicago for over twenty years. Chernow does a wonderful job introducing Rockefeller to the reader while weaving the financial story behind the man. But the area I found most intriguing was not the “Standard Oil” Rockefeller, it was the father who raised four children and was a wonderful and faithful husband his entire life. One especially intriguing story involved one of his daughters and how little she knew about her father’s wealth: “When Bessie enrolled at Vassar in the mid-1880’s she went on a shopping expedition with some classmates to purchase a Christmas present for a favorite teacher. At a Manhattan store, they found the perfect gift: a $100 desk. Since Bessie and her companions had only $75, they asked the merchant if he could wait a few days for the remaining $25. He agreed to do so if a New York businessman would vouch for them. ‘My father is in business,’ Bessie offered meekly. ‘He will vouch for us.’ ‘Who is your father’ asked the man. ‘His name is Mr. Rockefeller,’ she said. ‘John D. Rockefeller; he is in the oil business.’ The merchant gasped. ‘John D. Rockefeller is your father!’ When he agreed to ship the furniture, Bessie imagined he had merely changed his mind to please them.” The intriguing fact was that her mother and father had never revealed to any of them the extent of their wealth until they were grown. They were raised on hand-me down clothes and bikes. John Jr. even stated later in his life that he spent the first eight years of his life wearing hand-me-down dresses from his sisters. How did a man who demanded modesty, frugality and Christian morals become the ruthless devil who was the founder of Standard Oil? It is much too large of an answer to delve into in a meager review, but Ron Chernow did it in a mere 676 pages. . .it is worth the effort.
ninetyandnine.com ------------------ © Nita Curry, 1999 Nita Curry lives in St. Louis and has a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Missouri. She is in her eighth year of teaching the New Life College and Career Sunday School Class. She is currently heavily involved in a long-term sleep deprivation program under the guidance of Dr. Caleb Curry, who is now 21 months. Have an opinion on an article? Let us know how you feel! Click feedback & fill us in. |
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