John D. Rockefeller

Laura Kuklase 10D

Who was he?

• July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937

• world's richest man• American industrialist• revolutionized the

petroleum industry• defined the structure of

modern philanthropy

Early life• Family – trace his roots

back to French (5 brother /sister)

• Father – lumberman, traveling salesman

• Young John – household chors, raising turkeys, selling potatoes and candy (extra money), well-behaved , serious and studious boy

• an excellent mind for numbers and detailed accounting.

• 1851 - family moved to New York

• founder of both the University of Chicago and Rockefeller University

• In 1864 – married Laura Celestia Spelman

• four daughters/one son

Rockefeller, age 18

Rockefeller family

Early buisness career

• produce commission business – partner, Maurice B. Clark

• raised $4,000 in capital• built an oil refinery in 1863• bought out the Clark brothers for $72,500 at

auction• established the firm of Rockefeller & Andrews

Standard Oil

• 1870 – formed Standard Oil of Ohio

• largest shippers of oil and kerosene in the country

• 1870’s ends – Standard was refining over 90% of the oil

• Rockefeller had already become a millionaire

Rockefeller, at the age of 86, penned thefollowing words to sum up his life:

“ I was early taught to work as well as play,My life has been one long, happy holiday;Full of work and full of play-I dropped the worry on the way-And God was good to me everyday.”