Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "Milton Hershey" - New World

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[[Category:Economics]]
 
[[Category:Economics]]
 
[[Category:Biography]]
 
[[Category:Biography]]
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{{epname}}
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'''Milton Snavely Hershey''' (born September 13, 1857 – died October 13, 1945) was an [[United States|American]] businessman and philanthropist. He is famous for founding The Hershey Chocolate Company and the company town of Hershey, [[Pennsylvania]].
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==Life and work==
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===Early life===
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'''Milton Hershey''' was born on a farm near Derry Church, in rural Dauphin County in [[Pennsylvania]]. His parents, Fannie Snavely and Henry Hershey, of [[Germany|German]] and [[Switzerland|Swiss]] heritage, were members of Pennsylvania's [[Mennonite church|Mennonite]] community. Milton’s mother raised her son in a strict discipline of Mennonite faith. Milton’s sister Serena died in 1867, at the age of five.
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Hershey’s father was an [[entrepreneur]], however not a successful one. Most of his endeavors to make money for his family ended up in failure, what caused lot of stress on young Milton. Hershey dropped out from school in the 4th grade, and on his father's initiative, started apprenticeship with Samuel Ernst, a Lancaster printer who printed publications in [[Germany|German]] language. Hershey however had no interest in [[printing]], and soon returned back home to his family.
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===Early candy-making career===
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In 1872 Hershey’s mother arranged for her son to start the apprenticeship at the Lancaster confectionery shop owned by Joseph Royer. He liked the job so much that he decided, at the age of nineteen, to open his own candy business in [[Philadelphia]]. His mother and her sister provided moral and financial support for the business. In 1880, a family friend, [[William Lebkicher]] joined Hershey as a bookkeeper, and ever since played significant role in all Hershey’s future endeavors.
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However, despite everything, Hershey’s business failed, and he returned back to his family. He joined his father to a trip to [[Colorado]], where his father tried, again unsuccessfully, to mine the silver. In [[Denver]], Hershey worked for a candy manufacturer who taught him some important lessons of how to make candy, especially of the importance of fresh [[milk]].
  
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{{epname}}
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Upon his return home in 1883, Hershey decided to try again to open the candy business, this time in [[New York City]]. His shop was located on Sixth Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Streets. However, due to harsh competition and insufficient capital, his business failed again. He returned home to Pennsylvania, shamed in front of his family who suffered the loss of funds invested in his business.
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===Lancaster Caramel Company===
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With the help of his friend [[William Lebkicher]], who lend him some money, Hershey launched a caramel-making business. This time he had luck. An [[England|English]] importer of candies got so impressed by the taste and quality of Hershey’s caramels, that he ordered a huge order of caramels, one that made Hershey enough money to launch a caramel-manufacture. His Lancaster Caramel Company was opened in 1894. He also started to bake chocolate and cocoa coating for the caramels, under the name of the Hershey Chocolate Company.
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His business started to flourish and Hershey soon became one of the most successful businessmen in Lancaster and a millionaire. He traveled around the world to visit different caramel factories and learn new methods of making candy. In 1891, he purchased a large mansion in Lancaster and started to socialize with famous people. In 1897, he purchased the family homestead in Derry Church, where he was born.
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===Marriage===
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In 1898, at the age of 41, Hershey married Catherine Elisabeth Sweeney. The marriage came as a surprise to his family, for Catherine was of a [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] faith. The couple settled in Lancaster, where Hershey lived with his mother. Milton and Catherine traveled around the world, and enjoyed happy and loving marriage relationship.
 +
 
 +
===Chocolate business===
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Around 1900 Hershey decided to turn to chocolate business. He sold his Lancaster Caramel Company for $1 million, and built the chocolate factory in Derry Township. The area was perfectly fit for the factory, with plenty of dairy farms in its vicinity. By mid-1900s the factory and Hershey’s new mansion were completed. Hershey provided his employees with a beautiful environment, large parks and gorgeous public gardens. He built a whole city surrounding the factory, and the Company helped its employees to build their own houses. The town was named “Hershey” in 1906.
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 +
===The Hershey Industrial School===
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Milton and Catherine Hershey were unable to have children on their own. They decided thus to establish a school for orphaned boys. Hershey turned over his birthplace, that was near the factory, to serve as a home and school for the boys. The school was named the Hershey Industrial School (now known as the Milton Hershey School ). 
  
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===Later career===
 +
Hershey’s wife Catherine died on March 25, 1915, after long and debilitating illness. Hershey tried everything to save her life, and invested much of his fortune to find cure for her illness. After her death, he continued to focus his life on business.
  
−
'''Milton Snavely Hershey''' (September 13, 1857 – October 13, 1945) was an [[United States|American]] businessman and philanthropist. He is famous for founding [[The Hershey Company|The Hershey Chocolate Company]] and the "[[company town]]" of [[Hershey, Pennsylvania]].
+
During the [[World War I]] he started to produce his own sugar in [[Cuba]], on that way compensating for the lack of sugar coming from [[Europe]]. His factory continued to produce chocolate even in the time of [[Great Depression]]. He even expanded the production, providing jobs for new workers. He built a hospital, dining and recreational facilities, and a theatre.
  
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Due to his father's get rich quick plans, Milton couldn't finish school and dropped out in the 4th grade. As a young adult, his Reformed [[Mennonite]] mother's family {{Fact|date=February 2007}} financed for him several unsuccessful ventures in the candy industry. He persisted, and eventually found success in 1883 manufacturing [[caramel]] and other candies in what became the [[Lancaster Caramel Company]]. Following a visit to the 1893 [[Columbian Exposition]] he bought a European exhibitor's chocolate manufacturing equipment and added chocolate products to his business. Despite his company's prospering, Hershey determined that the [[chocolate]] industry had more promise. He sold the Lancaster Caramel Company for one million dollars in 1900 but retained the chocolate business and the rights to produce chocolate products. With the proceeds he acquired some 40,000 acres (160 km�) of undeveloped land north of Lancaster where he founded the Hershey Chocolate Company, which would become the world's largest chocolate factory.  
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===Last years===
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By the end of his life Hershey started to withdraw from the active duty in his company. He however continued to live a rich social life. Biographers all over the nation started to write about his life, typical of an “American dream”. Even the American Rose Society named a rose in his honor.
  
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The factory was in the center of dairy farmland, but with Hershey's support, houses, businesses, churches, and a transportation infrastructure accreted around the plant. Because the land was surrounded by dairy farms, he was able to use fresh milk to mass-produce quality milk chocolate. Hershey continued to experiment and perfect the process of making milk chocolate using the techniques he had first learned for adding milk to make caramels. The company also pioneered in making cocoa drinks and the famous Hershey's baking chocolate.
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During the [[World War II]], despite of his advancing years, Hershey engaged in support of the troops. He encouraged the research of a special chocolate that would not melt in a hot weather, so that the soldiers could eat wherever they were. Hershey and the Hershey Chocolate Corporation were awarded an Army-Navy “E” flag for its war effort.  
  
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On May 25, 1898 Hershey married Catharine "Kitty" Sweeney. Since Milton and his wife Catherine could not have children, they decided to use their successes to benefit others, opening the [[Milton Hershey School|Hershey Industrial School]] in 1909. In 1951, this was renamed the Milton Hershey School.  
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Milton Hershey died at 10:00 A.M. on October 13, 1945 in the Hershey Hospital in Pennsylvania.
  
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In 1918, Hershey transferred the majority of his assets, including his control of the chocolate company, to the formation of the [[Hershey Trust Company|Milton Hershey School Trust]], to benefit the Industrial School. The trust fund has a majority of voting shares in The Hershey Company , allowing it to keep control of the company. The trust also has 100% control of [[Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company]], which owns The [[Hotel Hershey]] and [[HersheyPark]], among other properties.
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==Legacy==
  
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The [[Penn State Hershey Medical Center|Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center]] was a gift from the Milton Hershey School Trust to the people of Pennsylvania, with an initial endowment of $50 million and only one restriction—the hospital must be built in Hershey. The funds were removed from the Trust without public comment or public hearings. Certain individuals gained the approval of the Attorney General and Orphans' Court, operating in secret. The hospital is a [[teaching hospital]]  with an annual budget exceeding the initial amount required to build it. It is part of the [[Penn State University]].
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Hershey rose from poverty to become one of the most well-known people in the world. He founded the Hershey Chocolate Corporation which at one point was the largest and the most famous chocolate manufacturing plants in the world. Surrounding the plant Hershey built a town and developed the whole region. He cared for the needs of his employees, giving them not only healthy and beautiful environment for work, but also a place for recreation. He built parks, gardens, sport center, amusement park, swimming pool, churches, and a trolley system. He founded the Hershey Industrial School and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The hospital today is a teaching hospital and is part of the [[Penn State University]].
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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*{{cite book | first=Jo�l Glenn | last=Brenner | year=2000 | title=The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey & Mars | chapter= | editor= | others= | pages= | publisher=Broadway Books | id=ISBN 0-7679-0457-5 | url= | authorlink= }}
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*D'Antonio, Michael (2006). ''Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams'', Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-6409-6
+
* Brenner, J. Glenn. 2000. ''The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars''. Broadway. ISBN 0767904575
 +
* Burford, Betty & Chantland, Loren. 1994. ''Chocolate by Hershey: A Story About Milton S. Hershey''. Carolrhoda Books. ISBN 0876146418
 +
* Coyle, M.L. 2006. ''Milton S. Hershey. Hershey - Derry Township Historical Society''. Retrieved on March 23, 2007, <http://www.hersheyhistory.com/milton.html>
 +
* D'Antonio, M. 2007. ''Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams''. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 074326410X
 +
* Simon, Charnan. 1998. ''Milton Hershey: Chocolate King, Town Builder''. Children's Press. ISBN 0516263307
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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*[http://www.netstate.com/states/peop/people/pa_msh.htm Biography]
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*[http://www.hersheypa.com Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company]
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* [http://www.hersheypa.com Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company] – Website of Hershey company
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* [http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/hersheybar.htm Invention of the Hershey's milk chocolate bar] – How Hershey found receipt for Hershey chocolate
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* [http://www.albany.edu/~sw555977/pathfinder/index.htm Milton Hershey (1857-1945): The Chocolate King] – Resources on Hershey
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* [http://www.bookrags.com/Milton_S._Hershey Milton Hershey] – Biography on BookRags website
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* [http://www.miltonhershey.com/ Milton Hershey] – Biography on Milton Hershey website
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* [http://www.netstate.com/states/peop/people/pa_msh.htm Milton S. Hershey] –Biography on Netstate.com
 +
* [http://www.hersheypa.com/town_of_hershey/history/ Milton S. Hershey] – Biography on Hershey Town website
  
 
{{Credits|Milton_S._Hershey|115685497|}}
 
{{Credits|Milton_S._Hershey|115685497|}}

Revision as of 12:58, 23 March 2007

Milton Snavely Hershey (born September 13, 1857 – died October 13, 1945) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is famous for founding The Hershey Chocolate Company and the company town of Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Life and work

Early life

Milton Hershey was born on a farm near Derry Church, in rural Dauphin County in Pennsylvania. His parents, Fannie Snavely and Henry Hershey, of German and Swiss heritage, were members of Pennsylvania's Mennonite community. Milton’s mother raised her son in a strict discipline of Mennonite faith. Milton’s sister Serena died in 1867, at the age of five.

Hershey’s father was an entrepreneur, however not a successful one. Most of his endeavors to make money for his family ended up in failure, what caused lot of stress on young Milton. Hershey dropped out from school in the 4th grade, and on his father's initiative, started apprenticeship with Samuel Ernst, a Lancaster printer who printed publications in German language. Hershey however had no interest in printing, and soon returned back home to his family.

Early candy-making career

In 1872 Hershey’s mother arranged for her son to start the apprenticeship at the Lancaster confectionery shop owned by Joseph Royer. He liked the job so much that he decided, at the age of nineteen, to open his own candy business in Philadelphia. His mother and her sister provided moral and financial support for the business. In 1880, a family friend, William Lebkicher joined Hershey as a bookkeeper, and ever since played significant role in all Hershey’s future endeavors.

However, despite everything, Hershey’s business failed, and he returned back to his family. He joined his father to a trip to Colorado, where his father tried, again unsuccessfully, to mine the silver. In Denver, Hershey worked for a candy manufacturer who taught him some important lessons of how to make candy, especially of the importance of fresh milk.

Upon his return home in 1883, Hershey decided to try again to open the candy business, this time in New York City. His shop was located on Sixth Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Streets. However, due to harsh competition and insufficient capital, his business failed again. He returned home to Pennsylvania, shamed in front of his family who suffered the loss of funds invested in his business.

Lancaster Caramel Company

With the help of his friend William Lebkicher, who lend him some money, Hershey launched a caramel-making business. This time he had luck. An English importer of candies got so impressed by the taste and quality of Hershey’s caramels, that he ordered a huge order of caramels, one that made Hershey enough money to launch a caramel-manufacture. His Lancaster Caramel Company was opened in 1894. He also started to bake chocolate and cocoa coating for the caramels, under the name of the Hershey Chocolate Company.

His business started to flourish and Hershey soon became one of the most successful businessmen in Lancaster and a millionaire. He traveled around the world to visit different caramel factories and learn new methods of making candy. In 1891, he purchased a large mansion in Lancaster and started to socialize with famous people. In 1897, he purchased the family homestead in Derry Church, where he was born.

Marriage

In 1898, at the age of 41, Hershey married Catherine Elisabeth Sweeney. The marriage came as a surprise to his family, for Catherine was of a Roman Catholic faith. The couple settled in Lancaster, where Hershey lived with his mother. Milton and Catherine traveled around the world, and enjoyed happy and loving marriage relationship.

Chocolate business

Around 1900 Hershey decided to turn to chocolate business. He sold his Lancaster Caramel Company for $1 million, and built the chocolate factory in Derry Township. The area was perfectly fit for the factory, with plenty of dairy farms in its vicinity. By mid-1900s the factory and Hershey’s new mansion were completed. Hershey provided his employees with a beautiful environment, large parks and gorgeous public gardens. He built a whole city surrounding the factory, and the Company helped its employees to build their own houses. The town was named “Hershey” in 1906.

The Hershey Industrial School

Milton and Catherine Hershey were unable to have children on their own. They decided thus to establish a school for orphaned boys. Hershey turned over his birthplace, that was near the factory, to serve as a home and school for the boys. The school was named the Hershey Industrial School (now known as the Milton Hershey School ).

Later career

Hershey’s wife Catherine died on March 25, 1915, after long and debilitating illness. Hershey tried everything to save her life, and invested much of his fortune to find cure for her illness. After her death, he continued to focus his life on business.

During the World War I he started to produce his own sugar in Cuba, on that way compensating for the lack of sugar coming from Europe. His factory continued to produce chocolate even in the time of Great Depression. He even expanded the production, providing jobs for new workers. He built a hospital, dining and recreational facilities, and a theatre.

Last years

By the end of his life Hershey started to withdraw from the active duty in his company. He however continued to live a rich social life. Biographers all over the nation started to write about his life, typical of an “American dream”. Even the American Rose Society named a rose in his honor.

During the World War II, despite of his advancing years, Hershey engaged in support of the troops. He encouraged the research of a special chocolate that would not melt in a hot weather, so that the soldiers could eat wherever they were. Hershey and the Hershey Chocolate Corporation were awarded an Army-Navy “E” flag for its war effort.

Milton Hershey died at 10:00 A.M. on October 13, 1945 in the Hershey Hospital in Pennsylvania.

Legacy

Hershey rose from poverty to become one of the most well-known people in the world. He founded the Hershey Chocolate Corporation which at one point was the largest and the most famous chocolate manufacturing plants in the world. Surrounding the plant Hershey built a town and developed the whole region. He cared for the needs of his employees, giving them not only healthy and beautiful environment for work, but also a place for recreation. He built parks, gardens, sport center, amusement park, swimming pool, churches, and a trolley system. He founded the Hershey Industrial School and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The hospital today is a teaching hospital and is part of the Penn State University.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Brenner, J. Glenn. 2000. The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars. Broadway. ISBN 0767904575
  • Burford, Betty & Chantland, Loren. 1994. Chocolate by Hershey: A Story About Milton S. Hershey. Carolrhoda Books. ISBN 0876146418
  • Coyle, M.L. 2006. Milton S. Hershey. Hershey - Derry Township Historical Society. Retrieved on March 23, 2007, <http://www.hersheyhistory.com/milton.html>
  • D'Antonio, M. 2007. Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 074326410X
  • Simon, Charnan. 1998. Milton Hershey: Chocolate King, Town Builder. Children's Press. ISBN 0516263307

External links

Credits

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