Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Ron Chernow

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Rockefeller has systematically played with loaded dice, and whole source
Rockefeller has systematically played with loaded dice, and it is doubtful if there has ever been a time since 1872 when he has run a race w…
Since Tarbell had spoken with Rogers for nearly whole source
Since Tarbell had spoken with Rogers for nearly a year before the series started, she held her breath when the first issue appeared in Novem…
Rogers did not terminate his meetings with Tarbell whole source
Rogers did not terminate his meetings with Tarbell until February 1904, when she published a shocking account of railway agents spying on St…
In 1874, the forty-year-old Backus died, likely from whole source
In 1874, the forty-year-old Backus died, likely from consumption, and his widow inherited an obsolete plant that consisted of little more th…
Backus— forever known to history as “the Widow whole source
Backus— forever known to history as “the Widow Backus”—blind when buying her Cleveland lubricating plant in 1878. If every melodrama needs a…
Vacuum employees found Buffalo Lubricating Oil whole source
In 1881, a trio of Vacuum employees—J. Scott Wilson, Charles B. Matthews, and Albert Miller—defected to start a rival refinery, the Buffalo…
By the third installment in January 1903, President whole source
By the third installment in January 1903, President Roosevelt himself was voraciously reading Tarbell’s articles and even sent her a flatter…
Though the series was published as a two-volume whole source
Though the series was published as a two-volume book in November 1904, she then capped it with a scathing two-part character study of Rockef…
Though the series was published as a two-volume whole source
Though the series was published as a two-volume book in November 1904, she then capped it with a scathing two-part character study of Rockef…
For nearly three years, from November 1902 to whole source
For nearly three years, from November 1902 to August 1905, Ida Tarbell fired projectiles at Rockefeller and Standard Oil without taking fire…
She wrote to Siddall in February 1903, “It whole source
She wrote to Siddall in February 1903, “It is very interesting to note now, that the thing is well under way, and I have not been kidnapped…
Then a breakthrough occurred in January 1904, when whole source
Then a breakthrough occurred in January 1904, when Siddall learned that the Tarbell series had won two unexpected admirers: Frank’s daughter…
Rockefeller claimed that he had not even deigned whole source
Rockefeller claimed that he had not even deigned to glance at McClure’s, a claim inadvertently refuted by Adella Prentiss Hughes, Cettie’s n…
By late 1904, gripped by migraine headaches and whole source
By late 1904, gripped by migraine headaches and insomnia, he wavered on the edge of a breakdown. Under doctor’s orders, he, Abby, and their…
How dismayed Tarbell would have been to find whole source
How dismayed Tarbell would have been to find Rockefeller writing to Archbold in July 1905: “I never appreciated more than at present the imp…
One night in 1904, the portly, ailing Bill whole source
One night in 1904, the portly, ailing Bill, then ninety-four, lowered himself into a chair but missed it. As he tried to grab something to b…
In the feverish mental state of his final whole source
In the feverish mental state of his final days in early 1906, he repeatedly babbled the names of the five children from his first marriage—J…
In August 1907, still baffled in its search whole source
In August 1907, still baffled in its search for Doc Rockefeller, the World ran the interview with Frank recorded a year and a half earlier.…
The death notice listed his birthday as November whole source
The death notice listed his birthday as November 13, 1810—the same date as Doc Rockefeller’s—settling the great mystery. Greatly relieved, M…
To retire any lingering doubt, Macdonald went to whole source
To retire any lingering doubt, Macdonald went to the local library and found an obituary notice, dated May 11, 1906, for Dr. William Levings…
On February 2, 1908, the nightmare that had whole source
On February 2, 1908, the nightmare that had haunted John D. Rockefeller his whole life suddenly burst forth in bold print.
Around 1894, when William Rainey Harper first proposed whole source
Around 1894, when William Rainey Harper first proposed a medical school for the University of Chicago, Rockefeller countered with a novel pr…
On summer vacation with his family in the whole source
On summer vacation with his family in the Catskill Mountains in 1897, Gates tackled a book of door-stopping length: Principles and Practice…
Rockefeller regarded his fortune as a public trust whole source
Rockefeller regarded his fortune as a public trust, not as a private indulgence, and the pressure to dispose of it grew imperative in the ea…
First US pathology lab opens at Bellevue whole source
Trained in Germany, he had transplanted high German medical standards to America by opening the first pathology lab at Bellevue Hospital Med…
Pasteur Institute founded in Paris whole source
With a rush of emotion, Gates drafted a strongly worded memo to Rockefeller, advocating the establishment of such an institute and citing Eu…
Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases founded in Berlin whole source
With a rush of emotion, Gates drafted a strongly worded memo to Rockefeller, advocating the establishment of such an institute and citing Eu…
French President Sadi Carnot assassinated whole source
His future medical agenda was defined in 1894 when President Sadi Carnot of France was stabbed by an assassin and died from the hemorrhaging…
Flexner develops meningitis serum amid NYC epidemic whole source
Then a sudden opportunity for heroism arose during the winter of 1904–1905, when three thousand New Yorkers died in a cerebrospinal meningit…
Then a sudden opportunity for heroism arose during whole source
Then a sudden opportunity for heroism arose during the winter of 1904–1905, when three thousand New Yorkers died in a cerebrospinal meningit…
Under Biggar’s influence, Rockefeller nearly refused to provide whole source
Under Biggar’s influence, Rockefeller nearly refused to provide a $500,000 check to repair the Johns Hopkins Medical School after it was par…
Rockefeller Institute renamed Rockefeller University whole source
The name was officially changed to Rockefeller University in 1965. Its faculty roster became heavily laden with Nobel Prize winners, and by…
Senior’s interest in southern black education antedated this whole source
Senior’s interest in southern black education antedated this junket by two decades, going back to 1882 when Spelman Seminary was still opera…
Rockefellers rebuild the Spelman Seminary campus whole source
In 1900, the Rockefeller family had virtually made over the Spelman campus, paying for a new hospital, two dormitories, a dining hall and ki…
CHAPTER 24 The Millionaires’ Special In April 1901 whole source
CHAPTER 24 The Millionaires’ Special In April 1901, a specially chartered train, jammed with millionaires, pulled out of Manhattan and hea…
Stiles finds hookworm endemic across the South whole source
In September 1902, outfitted with just a microscope, Dr. Stiles journeyed through the South examining human feces, and, sure enough, he foun…
General Education Board funds higher education whole source
In 1905, the GEB extended its purview to higher education with a $10 million gift from Rockefeller, followed by another $32 million in 1907—…
Standard Oil of Ohio hires its first Black employee whole source
It is interesting to note in this context that Standard Oil of Ohio did not hire its first permanent black employee until 1906. At the begin…
On October 20, 1909, Junior implored him to whole source
On October 20, 1909, Junior implored him to act fast and stake out a leadership role in the hookworm fight.
Rockefeller hookworm commission opens in Washington whole source
Instead of being based in New York, like other Rockefeller programs, it opened in 1910 in Washington, D.C., diplomatically south of the Maso…
Because infected people were cured swiftly, it seemed whole source
Because infected people were cured swiftly, it seemed no less miraculous than faith healing to many people, and the throngs often erupted in…
Though Rockefeller studiously avoided the campus and visited whole source
Though Rockefeller studiously avoided the campus and visited only three times (1897, 1901, and 1903), he got little credit for this self-abn…
Though Rockefeller studiously avoided the campus and visited whole source
Though Rockefeller studiously avoided the campus and visited only three times (1897, 1901, and 1903), he got little credit for this self-abn…
In 1903, Life magazine ran a cartoon of whole source
In 1903, Life magazine ran a cartoon of Ye Rich Rockefeller University, showing a lady holding aloft a lamp marked Standard Oil, her robes c…
It is the religion of Jesus, of science whole source
It is the religion of Jesus, of science, and of evolution alike.”58 In his papers, Gates left a startling memo, “The Spirit of True Religion…
La Follette said in 1905, “I read yesterday whole source
La Follette said in 1905, “I read yesterday that Rockefeller has been to prayer meeting again; tomorrow he will be giving to some college or…
An internal memo written to George Rogers in whole source
An internal memo written to George Rogers in 1906 sheds some light on this intriguing question. To assist Standard Oil in its political trav…
In July 1905, he turned up at the whole source
In July 1905, he turned up at the Euclid Avenue Baptist Church in an excellent mood, if slightly worn out, and chatted jovially with old fri…
(Courtesy of the Rockefeller Archive Center) Rockefeller’s life whole source
(Courtesy of the Rockefeller Archive Center) Rockefeller’s life struck many observers as strangely cramped, given his gargantuan wealth: He…
CHAPTER 25 The Codger By the close of whole source
CHAPTER 25 The Codger By the close of the Tarbell series in 1905, Rockefeller’s infamy as a businessman still overshadowed his budding phi…
In 1906, a forbidding iron fence, eight feet whole source
In 1906, a forbidding iron fence, eight feet tall and topped by wire netting, suddenly rose around Forest Hill, closing off sections to the…
After he took over the class from Charles whole source
After he took over the class from Charles Evans Hughes in 1900, the number of young men in attendance at once quadrupled from 50 to 200 and…
He once told the New York Chamber of whole source
He once told the New York Chamber of Commerce that his sole desire was to help his father and, if necessary, “to black his shoes, to pack hi…
Their first child, Abby—known as Babs—was born at whole source
Their first child, Abby—known as Babs—was born at 13 West Fifty-fourth Street in 1903, followed by John D.
I envy anybody who can do that.”33 By whole source
I envy anybody who can do that.”33 By slow increments, his father ratcheted up his allowance from $10,000 a year in 1902 to $18,000 five yea…
As he told his father in 1907, “I whole source
As he told his father in 1907, “I have always wished, simply as a matter of satisfaction to myself, that my salary might represent the real…
He must have fretted, too, about Junior’s debilitating whole source
He must have fretted, too, about Junior’s debilitating breakdown, which started in 1904 and dragged on for nearly three years, curtailing hi…
After they had toured some pretentious “châteaux” on whole source
After they had toured some pretentious “châteaux” on Long Island’s north shore, Junior said that Kykuit, by comparison, was “far less elabor…
Sure that the house was now ready, they whole source
Sure that the house was now ready, they apprehensively invited John and Cettie to sample it in October 1908, and it seemed, at first, an unp…
Senior had first been quoted a figure of whole source
Senior had first been quoted a figure of $30,000 for the entire landscaping job and was horrified in 1910 when the bill swelled to $750,000—…
CHAPTER 26 The World’s Richest Fugitive As they whole source
CHAPTER 26 The World’s Richest Fugitive As they approached the 1904 presidential election, Standard Oil executives knew that Teddy Rooseve…
House urges antitrust probe of Standard Oil whole source
Then, in February 1905, by a unanimous resolution, the House of Representatives urged an antitrust investigation of Standard Oil, a result o…
Roosevelt signs the Pure Food and Drug Act whole source
In 1906, Roosevelt signed a stack of bills to curb industrial abuses. Profiting from the outcry prompted by Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungl…
But as early as 1903, he and Parmalee whole source
But as early as 1903, he and Parmalee Prentice beseeched Senior to publish an authorized biography to rebut Tarbell’s work before it formed…
In 1904, he began dictating answers to biographical whole source
In 1904, he began dictating answers to biographical questions posed by Starr Murphy, yet his heart was not in it, and the project soon expir…
Roosevelt denounces 'muckrakers' at Gridiron Club whole source
As Rockefeller assured Gates, “The owner of the World is also a large owner of property, and I presume that, in common with other newspaper…
She and her husband, Charles Strong, had moved whole source
She and her husband, Charles Strong, had moved to Cannes in May 1904 to confer with neurological experts, especially a Dr. Bourcart. Now, tw…
“I weigh nearly two hundred pounds, without my whole source
“I weigh nearly two hundred pounds, without my five wigs,” he wrote in December 1905. “You should see them! They are real works of art, and…
I sleep in one, and do not know whole source
I sleep in one, and do not know how I got along all these years without the hair.”30 In spring 1906, frustrated by Bessie’s absence, Rockef…
“I have as my constant companions at golf whole source
“I have as my constant companions at golf, magazine writers and newspaper men,” Rockefeller wrote to Harold McCormick in September 1906. “Th…
In the summer of 1907, his dear friend whole source
In the summer of 1907, his dear friend Henry H. Rogers had suffered a stroke, and Twain had stayed with him in Bermuda from February 24 to A…
In 1908, Charles told Junior that he had whole source
In 1908, Charles told Junior that he had dismissed Margaret’s beloved Irish governess, a Miss Lawrenson, for introducing religion into their…
I am willing to meet and talk with whole source
I am willing to meet and talk with any body of men, friends or enemies.” 67 On May 20, 1908, Doubleday sat at the head of the luncheon table…
(Rockefeller, we recall, always insisted that Standard Oil whole source
(Rockefeller, we recall, always insisted that Standard Oil took no rebates after they were banned in 1887.) The presiding figure in the Chic…
Elkins Act forbids railroad rebates whole source
When rebates were again forbidden by the Elkins Act of 1903 and the Hepburn Act of 1906, the public naively assumed they had ended.
Eager to levy an eye-popping fine against the whole source
Eager to levy an eye-popping fine against the trust, Landis asked its attorneys for figures on its capitalization and earnings between 1903…
Judge Landis rules in the Standard Oil case whole source
On the morning of August 3, 1907, as more than a thousand people sought entrance to his courtroom, Landis read aloud his decision in the Sta…
Appeals court overturns Landis's Standard Oil fine whole source
In July 1908, a federal appeals court not only revoked the fine but severely reprimanded Landis for considering each carload of oil as a sep…
Then, Landis delivered his bombshell: a fine against whole source
Then, Landis delivered his bombshell: a fine against Standard Oil of Indiana that dwarfed any other in American corporate history up until t…
He estimated that true competition prevailed in fewer whole source
He estimated that true competition prevailed in fewer than 10 percent of all petroleum markets and noted that kerosene prices had risen unre…
Archbold puts Senator Foraker on Standard Oil's payroll whole source
The first documented instance of Archbold suborning an official occurred in 1898, during Frank Monnett’s suit against Standard of Ohio, when…
With Archbold at the helm, returns soared from whole source
With Archbold at the helm, returns soared from 21 to 27 percent between 1900 and 1906. This might have been smart business but it was very p…
Another favorite recipient of Standard Oil largesse was whole source
Another favorite recipient of Standard Oil largesse was Senator Matthew Quay of Pennsylvania, who received $42,500 between 1898 and 1902.
Another favorite recipient of Standard Oil largesse was whole source
Another favorite recipient of Standard Oil largesse was Senator Matthew Quay of Pennsylvania, who received $42,500 between 1898 and 1902.
In December 1904, the two young men pinched whole source
In December 1904, the two young men pinched a couple of telegrams and contacted Fred Eldridge, an editor at William Randolph Hearst’s New Yo…
Where the trust had pumped 32 percent of whole source
Where the trust had pumped 32 percent of American crude oil in 1899, its share had slumped to 14 percent by 1911. Even Standard’s historic s…
With the final amalgamation of Royal Dutch and whole source
With the final amalgamation of Royal Dutch and Shell in 1907, Standard Oil at last faced a worthy competitor abroad, while the Anglo-Persian…
Rockefeller endorses Taft for president whole source
After the 1908 election, he was relieved to be free of Teddy Roosevelt, who handed over the Republican nomination to his corpulent secretary…
Rogers and Mark Twain sailing together in Bermuda whole source
Rogers and Mark Twain sailing together in Bermuda in 1908. (Courtesy of the Mark Twain Project, the Bancroft Library)
Precisely because he lost the antitrust suit, Rockefeller whole source
Precisely because he lost the antitrust suit, Rockefeller was converted from a mere millionaire, with an estimated net worth of $300 million…
Between January and October 1912, Standard Oil of whole source
Between January and October 1912, Standard Oil of New Jersey zoomed from 360 to 595; Standard of New York went from 260 to 580; and Standard…
As early as 1901, Rockefeller had realized that whole source
As early as 1901, Rockefeller had realized that he needed to create a foundation on a scale that dwarfed anything he had done so far, and he…
Afraid that a state charter for a Rockefeller whole source
Afraid that a state charter for a Rockefeller Foundation could be repealed at the whim of an unfriendly state legislature, Junior and Gates…
He kept a Peerless auto at Pocantico as whole source
He kept a Peerless auto at Pocantico as early as 1904. In the 1910s, cars began to fill his stone coach barn alongside the old-fashioned buc…
Between 1856 and 1909, Rockefeller had given $157.5 whole source
Between 1856 and 1909, Rockefeller had given $157.5 million for charitable purposes.
For all his panegyrics about Rockefeller’s wisdom, Gates whole source
For all his panegyrics about Rockefeller’s wisdom, Gates had some private grievances and was irked by what he saw as his skimpy compensation…
Between 1856 and 1909, Rockefeller had given $157.5 whole source
Between 1856 and 1909, Rockefeller had given $157.5 million for charitable purposes.
As Rockefeller scaled back involvement with the University whole source
As Rockefeller scaled back involvement with the University of Chicago in 1909, Gates fancied that they might replicate this feat with a grea…
Touring the Far East in 1914, Rose heard whole source
Touring the Far East in 1914, Rose heard fears from public-health officials that a fresh outbreak of yellow fever could result from ships pa…
Rockefeller Foundation creates the China Medical Board whole source
In 1915, the Rockefeller Foundation set up the China Medical Board, which constructed the Peking Union Medical College and opened it in 1921…
The Rockefellers’ ill-fated involvement in Colorado dated back whole source
The Rockefellers’ ill-fated involvement in Colorado dated back to 1902, when Senior was flush with windfall profits from the spectacular sal…
As early as October 1903, Junior sent fighting whole source
As early as October 1903, Junior sent fighting words to CFI’s president on the subject: “We are prepared to stand by in this fight and see t…
Only later did Gates learn that Gould had whole source
Only later did Gates learn that Gould had been tipped off by a trusted aide that the company management was “rotten” and that its top execut…
Rockefeller Jr. testifies to House mining subcommittee whole source
Summoned to give testimony before the House Subcommittee on Mines and Mining in March 1914, Junior saw himself perpetuating his father’s nob…
In 1911, his luck expired when the Liberal whole source
In 1911, his luck expired when the Liberal government fell, depriving him of his ministerial post and throwing him into a state of acute anx…
In early June 1914, still fretting about his whole source
In early June 1914, still fretting about his finances, he received a cryptic telegram from the Rockefeller Foundation, inviting him to New Y…
“I learned that in the old days during whole source
“I learned that in the old days during the strike out west.”46 In May 1914, while still reeling from the Ludlow Massacre, Junior asked Arthu…
Under the joint tutelage of King and Lee whole source
Under the joint tutelage of King and Lee, Junior regained his equanimity and even launched a publicity offensive for improved labor relation…
“I will never demur again.”64 On October 2 whole source
“I will never demur again.”64 On October 2, 1915, in the town of Pueblo, Junior addressed two hundred CFI workers and managers. “This is a…
Rockefeller waives foundation founder's designation rights whole source
To boost faith in the foundation’s autonomy, in July 1917 Rockefeller waived his future right to make founder’s designations. If the Ludlow…
Mackenzie King elected Canadian Liberal leader whole source
In 1919, he was elected leader of the Liberal Party in Canada and two years later became prime minister, serving in that post off and on for…
Oil Industry Development whole source
(The trust’s share of American crude production peaked at 33 percent in 1898.) By narrowing the range of competition in oil production, the…
Lima Crude Oil Field Expansion whole source
The emergence of the giant Lima refinery accelerated the demise of Cleveland and Pittsburgh as refining centers, and by 1896 Standard Oil ph…
Rockefeller gains control of the Lima oil field whole source
“This latest deal shows that it has started to crush out the producers of the crude oil and obtain control of their property.” 17 By 1891, R…
William C. Whitney Political Influence whole source
“I think it is true that the Pratt family, the Payne-Whitney family (which were one, as all the stock came from Colonel Payne), the Harkness…
Standard Oil Production Committee Formed whole source
As Rockefeller and Archbold later claimed in 1907 when their subsequent behavior was questioned, “Since the enactment of the interstate comm…
Oil Industry Development whole source
In 1907, Standard Oil was briefly slapped with the largest fine in corporate history for a practice it had supposedly given up long before.
New York senate committee investigates Standard Oil whole source
When a New York senate committee investigated Standard Oil in 1888, it learned just how elusive he could be. When a process server came to 2…
Oil Industry Development whole source
In his testimony, Rockefeller supplied for the first time the Standard Oil trust agreement that had been drawn up in 1882; named the eight c…
Sherman Antitrust Bill Introduced whole source
Never one to hold grudges in business, unfazed by the new law, Rockefeller supported the reelection of Senator Sherman in 1891.
President Harrison signs the Sherman Antitrust Act whole source
On July 2, 1890, President Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act, which outlawed trusts and combinations in restraint of trade and subje…
John Sherman introduces his antitrust bill whole source
From Standard Oil’s viewpoint, the most threatening bill was introduced in December 1889 by Ohio senator John Sherman, brother of General Wi…
Oil Industry Development whole source
One 1889 newspaper article showcased Rockefeller as America’s richest man, with a net worth of $150 million—an estimate he regarded as much…
Oil Industry Development whole source
In a January 1887 letter, he began by telling Rockefeller that he had abided by his promise not to broach the forbidden subject, but time co…
Interstate Commerce Act Regulation whole source
With all the hostile publicity directed against Standard Oil during the debate over the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, it was certainly an…
Rockefeller and Carnegie Philanthropy whole source
“The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced,” Carnegie declared bluntly.43 Rockefeller was greatly influenced by Carnegie and when the Carneg…
University of Chicago Founding Support whole source
Of their excruciating year of pleading, Gates later said it “cost more brain work, anxiety, anguish, tears, prayers and shoe leather than al…
Lima Crude Oil Field Expansion whole source
After all these excruciating dilatory tactics, the campaign for a Chicago college or university reached a surprisingly swift climax on a cle…
Oil Industry Development whole source
When Rockefeller consented to his demand for an extra million dollars to transfer the Morgan Park Theological Seminary to the new Chicago ca…
Oil Industry Development whole source
By 1892, Gates joyously proclaimed to Rockefeller, “Our denomination has a larger, better distributed, better organized, and more efficient…
University of Chicago Founding Support whole source
From $124,000 in 1889 (right before his big pledge to Gates), his donations soared to $304,000 in 1890, $510,000 in 1891, and then a spectac…
Oil Industry Development whole source
By 1892, Gates joyously proclaimed to Rockefeller, “Our denomination has a larger, better distributed, better organized, and more efficient…
Oil Industry Development whole source
As he later explained, “I felt that at fifty it was due me to have freedom from absorption in active business affairs and to devote myself t…
Rockefeller pledges $3 million to University of Chicago whole source
In October 1895, Gates went to Chicago armed with a letter from Rockefeller pledging another three million dollars for the school’s endowmen…
Oil Industry Development whole source
Built at a moment of civic pride, the new university sprang up beside the fabled White City of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The fairground…
Oil Industry Development whole source
Such visible activism handicapped Harper in courting local business, as he made clear in a letter to Bemis in July 1894: Your speech at the…
Oil Industry Development whole source
When he stepped down from Standard Oil, he was probably worth about $200 million—$3.5 billion today—whereas, thanks to the internal-combusti…
Oil Industry Development whole source
Driven by his faith in Florida’s future, Flagler merged his railroads in 1892 and conceived a master plan for a railroad that would snake do…
Oil Industry Development whole source
“You and I have been associated in business upwards of thirty-five years,” Rockefeller wrote to him in 1902, “and while there have been time…
Florida enacts the Flagler divorce law whole source
On April 9, 1901, a special law was enacted permitting divorce on grounds of incurable insanity—a law known as the Flagler divorce law. With…
Courts rule Ida Alice Flagler insane whole source
After the courts ruled Ida Alice Flagler insane in 1899, Henry set up a trust fund for her, stocked with $2 million in Standard Oil shares,…
Oil Industry Development whole source
Senate in 1881 and held that seat for the next thirty years, winding up as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. A confirmed protectioni…
Standard Oil Production Committee Formed whole source
With Archbold at the helm, by contrast, the dividends surged, jumping to 31 percent in 1896 and 33 percent in 1897 and 1899.
Standard Oil Production Committee Formed whole source
With Archbold at the helm, by contrast, the dividends surged, jumping to 31 percent in 1896 and 33 percent in 1897 and 1899.
Oil Industry Development whole source
Visiting Rockefeller at a southern hotel around 1910, Gates found him rather lonely and forlorn and suggested he contact some cultivated loc…
Oil Industry Development whole source
By 1890, as he banked ten million dollars in annual income, Rockefeller still deferred, with surprising credulity, to advice proffered by su…
Oil Industry Development whole source
By 1909, Rockefeller felt so abominably treated by Gould that he refused further cooperation unless his representatives controlled the board…
Oil Industry Development whole source
Among his triumphs, he extended a six-million-dollar loan to the fledgling General Motors in 1906—about $98 million today—taking notes for h…
Oil Industry Development whole source
After the Armstrong investigation of 1905 exposed massive double-dealing between insurance companies and their bankers, reform legislation w…
Oil Industry Development whole source
After the Armstrong investigation of 1905 exposed massive double-dealing between insurance companies and their bankers, reform legislation w…
Rockefeller and Carnegie Philanthropy whole source
Morgan decided to create a steel trust in late 1900, he knew he would have to tangle with two men who were confirmed cynics about Wall Stree…
Standard Oil Asset Acquisition whole source
By 1900, Rockefeller had acquired 1,600 acres and eventually the Pocantico Hills estate expanded to 3,000 acres, threaded by dozens of miles…
Oil Industry Development whole source
His correspondence does show that his problem with hair loss began earlier than previously imagined; in 1886, at age forty-seven, he was alr…
Oil Industry Development whole source
In 1908, he returned as a patient to the Burghölzli Psychiatric Clinic outside Zurich under the care of Dr.
Oil Industry Development whole source
When Junior decided in 1904 that Alta and Parmalee were spending twice as much as their income warranted, Parmalee bristled at this intrusio…
British navy converts battleships to fuel oil whole source
In 1903, the British navy outfitted some battleships to use fuel oil instead of coal, attracting the notice of the U.S.
Cettie Rockefeller Confined to Wheelchair whole source
When she took up winter residence at 4 West Fifty-fourth Street in late 1909, she was already restricted to a wheelchair, so that Junior and…
Cettie's Health Deteriorates at Forest Hill whole source
When doctors warned Rockefeller that Cettie was too frail to leave Cleveland, he was caught in an excruciating predicament, for his seasonal…
Rockefeller Prepares Kykuit for Cettie whole source
In February 1914, John preceded Cettie to Kykuit to ensure that the remodeled house would accommodate her comfortably.
Death of Laura Spelman Rockefeller whole source
the two sisters were clasping hands at 10:20 A.M. the next morning when Cettie expired.
Death of Edith's Son Jack whole source
the death of two of their children: four-year-old Jack in 1901 and one-year-old Editha in 1904, events that cast a shadow across Edith’s lif…
Death of Edith's Daughter Editha whole source
the death of two of their children: four-year-old Jack in 1901 and one-year-old Editha in 1904, events that cast a shadow across Edith’s lif…
Harold McCormick's European Business Investigation whole source
In 1910, to investigate new sites for an International Harvester factory, Harold spent two summer months motoring through Hungary with Edith…
Carl Jung meets John D. Rockefeller at Kykuit whole source
On October 20, 1912, Jung spent the day with Edith at Kykuit, doubtless savoring the chance to study an archetypal figure such as Rockefelle…
Edith Sails to Switzerland for Analysis whole source
Having failed to woo Jung to American shores, Edith consented to sail with him to Switzerland in April 1913.
Rockefeller endows the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial whole source
In 1918, he gave $74 million to endow the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial.
Laura Spelman Memorial funds social sciences research whole source
In 1922, under the direction of Beardsley Ruml, it began to pour nearly fifty million dollars into research in the social sciences.
Harold McCormick resigns as International Harvester treasurer whole source
Returning to Switzerland in September 1914, Harold grew so entranced by Jung that he decided to stay and resigned as treasurer of Internatio…
Edith Fails to Attend Mother's Funeral whole source
Edith failed to attend the wedding of Harold’s brother Cyrus in February and did not come to Cettie’s funeral service in March—despite Harol…
Edith Rockefeller funds the Zurich Psychological Club whole source
in 1916 when she put up $120,000—$80,000 of it borrowed—to rent and renovate a posh Zurich mansion for a new Psychological Club
Johann Peter Rockefeller immigrates to America whole source
Around 1723, Johann Peter Rockefeller, a miller, gathered up his wife and five children, set sail for Philadelphia, and settled on a farm in…
Godfrey Rockefeller marries Lucy Avery in Great Barrington whole source
In 1806, Godfrey married Lucy Avery in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, despite the grave qualms of her family.
William Avery Rockefeller born in Granger, New York whole source
the third, William Avery Rockefeller, born in Granger, New York, in 1810.
Rockefellers move west in search of fresh opportunity whole source
The Rockefeller records offer various scenarios of why Godfrey and Lucy packed their belongings into an overloaded Conestoga wagon and heade…
John D. Rockefeller born in Richford, New York whole source
By the time that John D. Rockefeller was born in 1839, Richford was acquiring the amenities of a small town.
Rockefellers move to Moravia, New York whole source
Around 1843, Bill put down a thousand dollars for a ninety-two-acre parcel of grassy upland that gently sloped down to Owasco Lake, one of t…
Mary Ann Rockefeller born in Moravia whole source
Now, in 1843, with Big Bill again on the road during months of her pregnancy, Eliza gave birth to a second daughter, Mary Ann
Twin children born to William and Eliza Rockefeller whole source
two years later, twins arrived. The boy, Frank, was healthy, but Frances was sickly from birth and received some seventy visits from a local…
Texas annexed to the United States whole source
Following the war with Mexico, huge chunks of land—Texas, New Mexico, and upper California—were annexed to the country in early 1848.
Erie Railroad reaches Owego, New York whole source
On June 1, 1849, shortly before the Rockefellers arrived, the Erie Railroad had first puffed into Owego, thousands of spectators packing the…
Great fire destroys downtown Owego whole source
On September 27, 1849, right before the Rockefellers moved to Owego, an appalling conflagration had consumed 104 downtown buildings, the bla…
Rockefellers relocate to Owego, New York whole source
During the second half of 1849, Bill abandoned his family and gadded about the countryside to reconnoiter new towns. In the spring of 1850,…
Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad reaches Cleveland whole source
When the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad arrived in 1851, it created excellent opportunities for transport by both water and rai…
John D. Rockefeller starts work at Hewitt and Tuttle whole source
Then, on the morning of September 26, 1855, he walked into the offices of Hewitt and Tuttle, commission merchants and produce shippers on Me…
John D. Rockefeller starts work at Hewitt and Tuttle whole source
On the last day of 1855, Hewitt handed Rockefeller $50 for three months of work, or slightly more than 50 cents a day. Effective immediately…
Owego Academy founded in New York whole source
In August 1852, John and William entered Owego Academy, which had been founded in 1827 and was unquestionably the finest secondary school in…
Samuel F. B. Morse invents the telegraph whole source
Every Saturday, the principal demonstrated the newfangled devices then revolutionizing American business, and John was riveted by displays o…
John and William Rockefeller enter Owego Academy whole source
In August 1852, John and William entered Owego Academy, which had been founded in 1827 and was unquestionably the finest secondary school in…
John D. Rockefeller begins school at Cleveland's Clinton Street School whole source
In the fall of 1853, after eight months in Strongsville, Big Bill decided that the time had come for John and William to resume their educat…
John D. Rockefeller enters Central High School in Cleveland whole source
When John finally entered high school (later called Central High School) in 1854 at the age of fifteen, it was still a modest, one-story aff…
Kansas-Nebraska Act passes Congress whole source
At a time when America was deeply split over the question of extending slavery to new territories—the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in May…
Clark and Rockefeller commission house founded whole source
So on April 1, 1858, backed up by this borrowed money, John D. Rockefeller left Isaac Hewitt and joined the new partnership of Clark and Roc…
George W. Gardner joins Clark and Rockefeller whole source
An intimate, critical perspective on the perverse relations between Rockefeller and his father comes from George W. Gardner, who joined Clar…
Laura Celestia Spelman born in Akron, Ohio whole source
Born in Massachusetts, Harvey Buel Spelman, a direct descendant of the Puritans, and Lucy Henry met in Ohio and were married in 1835, giving…
Spelmans move to Akron, Ohio whole source
When they moved to Akron in 1841, they lived humbly at first, with Mrs. Spelman taking in washing to extend their income; Cettie, as a littl…
Harvey Spelman elected to Ohio legislature whole source
As a member of the local board of education, Harvey Spelman spearheaded the creation of a progressive public-school system, a crusade that p…
Spelmans depart Cleveland for Burlington, Iowa whole source
In 1856, Harvey and Lucy Spelman left Cleveland for Burlington, Iowa; the move evidently reflected renewed business hardships for Mr. Spelma…
John D. Rockefeller casts first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln whole source
In 1860, Rockefeller cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and on the eve of the war he attended meetings that resounded wit…
Rockefeller hires military substitute as Civil War begins whole source
Like J. P. Morgan, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., and other well-heeled young men, Rockefeller hired a substitute for $300 and e…
Clark and Rockefeller annual profits reach $17,000 whole source
By 1862, their annual profits had soared to $17,000, or almost four times what they had earned during their only prewar year.
Rockefeller and Clark form Andrews, Clark and Co. whole source
Rockefeller and Maurice Clark pledged $4,000 for half the working capital of the new refining venture, Andrews, Clark and Co., placing the t…
Atlantic and Great Western Railroad reaches Cleveland whole source
On November 3, 1863, proudly flying the Union colors, a gleaming locomotive of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad pulled into a Clevela…
Allegheny River oil fire burns Franklin bridge whole source
By 1863, the Allegheny, befouled with oil, actually caught fire and burned a bridge in Franklin.
Pithole Creek gusher creates Pennsylvania boomtown whole source
In January 1865 at a place called Pithole Creek. The nearby rocks and chasms had always emitted sulfur gas and attracted the notice of oilme…
Rockefeller buys out Clark brothers at auction whole source
Finally it advanced to $60,000, and by slow stages to $70,000, and I almost feared for my ability to buy the business and have the money to…
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox Courthouse whole source
About two months after Rockefeller won the refining business, Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse.
Rockefeller purchases diamond engagement ring whole source
Shortly afterward, the ascetic Rockefeller did something wholly out of character, spending a shocking $118 for a diamond engagement ring.
Rockefeller honeymooning at Niagara Falls and Canada whole source
With the Swiss precision that governed his life, Rockefeller allotted exactly one month—September 8 to October 8, 1864—for a honeymoon that…
Peak Kerosene Prices During Civil War whole source
inside them to shake loose more oil, swelling the surplus. Within a year or two after the Civil War, the oil flood caused prices to skid to…
Torpedo Wells Technology Increases Production whole source
s were especially volatile. Based on locating deep, unseen pools, the industry was an unpredictable, nerve-racking affair. Every time some l…
Petroleum Producers' Association founded whole source
he was anticipated by the very drillers who later railed at his machinations. During the Civil War, they had formed an Oil Creek Association…
Gould and Fisk gold scheme triggers Black Friday whole source
nd profited from selling supplies to prospectors. Rich investors did not line up to invest in Standard Oil, among other reasons because it…
Standard Oil Company incorporated in Ohio whole source
s a formidable one for Rockefeller—was that these firms couldn’t own property outside their state of incorporation; to finesse this restrict…
Rockefeller secretly acquires Bostwick and Tilford whole source
k of Standard Oil shares—the only time he ever lost heart momentarily—prompting brother William to lament, “Your anxiety to sell makes me fe…
Standard Oil expands capital, authorizes refinery buys whole source
of stealth that shadowed Rockefeller’s career: Renamed J. A. Bostwick and Company, the newly acquired firm brazenly feigned independence of…
Rockefeller Promises Support to Weaker Competitors whole source
68 He liked to make Standard Oil sound like a philanthropic agency or an angel of mercy, come to succor downtrodden refiners. “We will take…
National Refiners' Association founded in Pittsburgh whole source
itigated cheek, Rockefeller decided that if the Oil Regions couldn’t tolerate a small, secret consortium such as the SIC, he would confront…
Treaty of Titusville signed with oil producers whole source
ology—that he was trying to drive drillers to the wall to keep prices low. In reality, he was fully prepared to deal with a strong producers…
Rockefeller dissolves the Pittsburgh Plan whole source
red the business expressly to blackmail him into buying them out. In the end, frustrated by rampant cheating and freeloaders, Rockefeller g…
Jay Cooke & Company collapse triggers Panic of 1873 whole source
d in a prolonged slump that ground on for six interminable years. On Black Thursday— September 18, 1873—the august banking house of Jay Cook…
Rockefeller buys Forest Hill estate in Cleveland whole source
y At a time when America’s brand-new millionaires reveled in garish houses that paid queer homage to everything from medieval romance to th…
Nobel Brothers Petroleum Company founded in Russia whole source
roars, black geysers shot into the air with such staggering power that some of them couldn’t be capped for months; one raging gusher spouted…
Standard Oil buys Imperial Refining Company whole source
ight to practice business where he pleased. Nonetheless, to enforce an airtight monopoly, he needed to capture the Oil Creek refineries, if…
Standard Oil acquires Porter, Moreland; Archbold joins whole source
d universal power and respect. Along Oil Creek, his desertion to Standard Oil was considered treasonous betrayal, and it demoralized local i…
Acme Oil Company formed to absorb Oil Creek refineries whole source
tual confidence of neighbors and friends.”23 Archbold was the smiling face who mollified enemies and restored peace, and with his advent Roc…
Standard Oil secretly buys J. N. Camden & Company whole source
they had made such arrangements with the railroads in reference to freight—in reference to getting cars—he knew I could make no money if I d…
Standard Oil moves to new four-story building whole source
CHAPTER 10 Sphinx In April 1874, as befitted the status of this new oil colossus, Standard Oil moved into a new four-story building that R…
Oil production booms in Bradford, Pennsylvania whole source
field was discovered in Bradford, Pennsylvania, northeast of the old Oil Creek fields. As thousands of wild-eyed drillers besieged the area,…
Standard Oil conquers last independent refineries whole source
cal transportation infrastructure, it became impossible for Baltimore refiners to operate autonomously. Standard Oil had become virtually in…
Rockefeller creates the Standard Oil trust agreement whole source
r correctly considered the legal system an unfair impediment, it was also a spur to his ingenuity. His first major improvisation came with…
Standard Oil assembles Manhattan headquarters site whole source
at the stroke of nine. “I never knew anyone to enter an office as quietly as Mr. Rockefeller,” said his private secretary, George Rogers. “H…