Running Head: Hershey

Hershey: A Helping Hand Indica Feole University of North Carolina at Charlotte Website URL: hersheyhelpinghand.weebly.com

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Most people hear Hershey and think chocolate, melt-in-your-mouth, milk chocolate. However, there is more to the name Hershey than most may know. Milton S. Hershey was not only an entrepreneur in the candy world but a hard-working, persevering man who changed not only an entire town but the lives of anyone he could. History Milton S. Hershey was born September 13, 1857 in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. Milton was born to a hard-working yet unlucky man named, Henry Hershey and a hard-working, frugal mother named Fanny Hershey. Hershey did not grow up wealthy but thanks to Fannys frugal ways they made it by. Miltons father embarked on many a money making ventures but ultimately failed, every single time. The only thing he was truly successful at was teaching Milton to always follow his dreams and to never give up. As a child Milton helped his family by working on the farm and did not receive education past the fourth grade. Also, Henry Hershey was somewhat of a wanderer, often leaving his family for long periods of time, until he eventually left for New York, and Milton left with him. At this point Fanny began referring to herself as a widow and officially separated from her already estranged husband. (Failure to Fortunes) One of Miltons first jobs was at a newspaper, which ended abruptly when he dropped his hat into the press. Afterwards he got a job in a Lancaster Confectionary Shop which specialized in candies where he worked in the candy kitchen. This is where he found his calling. Due to his new found love for candy he launched his own shop in Philadelphia at just 19 years old. This feat, however, failed shortly after it began and he moved to Denver, Colorado with his father. This is where he learned the secret that would change the history of chocolate forever. Milton

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found a job with a candy maker who shared with him his secret ingredient, fresh milk, in candy. The pair, Henry and Milton, moved around the country together for a while, experiencing multiple failures before Milton moved back to Lancaster. (Hinkle, 1964) When Milton returned to Lancaster most of his family viewed him as being financially irresponsible and refused to aid him any further. All, that is, except for his Aunt Mattie who lent him enough money for a couple of bags of sugar and a rented room. Milton began making caramel candy by day and selling it by night which was not very successful until an Englishman placed a sizable order. This led Milton to take out a loan from the bank; which was only achieved due to Miltons frankness, modesty, and competence. With the money from the loan Milton was able to purchase equipment, hire a small staff, and get the order shipped off to England. Shortly afterwards Milton received a check for 500 pounds (roughly $2,500 back then) which he used to pay off his loan and further fund his business. (Zimmerman, 1993) After a few years in Lancaster Mr. Hershey owned his own caramel factory where he steadily worked to improve the quality of his products. Then in 1900, at the age of 43, Milton sold his Caramel Company for one million dollars and dedicated himself to the creation of chocolate. Hershey once advertised chocolate as, A sweet to eat, a food to drink and determined that a fortune could be made if he could achieve mass production of affordable chocolate for everyone. The first factory was opened in December of 1904 with the first chocolates being produced the next year. (Hinkle, 1964) Miltons timing was spot on and from then on out he was nothing short of fortunate. The Wealth Milton Hershey is one of Americas greatest philanthropists and in life gave away the majority of his fortune. One of his philanthropies was the foundation of a free junior college for

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young men during the depression years of the 1930s. Another of his accomplishments was the creation of his orphanage for young boys. Milton Hershey married Catherine Kitty Sweeney in 1898 and even though they had a great love of children she could never conceive. In 1910 they gathered 10 young orphan boys and provided them with a home and the opportunity to go to school. This led to the creation of the Milton Hershey School which is still taking in orphans today as well as other children. The students at this school live here and go to school here. A Living Legacy. One of the strongest economic moves, in my opinion, which Mr. Hershey made was his creation of jobs during the depression. In order to make sure that none of his employees had to be laid off he put people to work on building projects to "improve the city". The company had enough money to fund all the construction and even though work hours were reduced, no one lost their jobs. "Hershey Builds Hershey" This movement created many beautiful and "ahead of their time" (as some people would say) buildings which are still fully functional and in use today. The Chocolate Town Hershey also wanted to make a difference for everyone he could, growing up with little to nothing he knew what it was like and he didnt want others to feel the same way. Hershey rebuilt the town, from the inside out, including everyone as much as he could. Milton funded the construction of many buildings and establishments which provided work for the people of what is now called Hershey, Pennsylvania. (DAntonio, 2006) In Hershey, PA there is the factory, where people can take tours to see how the chocolate is made. There is also an amusement park and museums. These establishments bring in thousands of tourists every year which fuels the small towns economy. Comparisons

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Hershey didnt only stand out because of his unique take on candy but his unique take on business. Hershey believed in treating his employees well and giving them chances to grow and thrive. Unlike the other cold-blooded robber barons of his time like: Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Vanderbilt; Hershey did not offer back breaking work for menial wages. Instead Hershey offered dignity and prosperity, instilling loyalty in his workers and establishing a faithful relationship. (Wawro, 2000) Hershey was also unique in that he gave away the majority of his wealth, for the benefit of others. Everything he achieved in life he achieved on his own through hard work and determination and even though he did not "owe" any one anything for his fortune he felt that since he was in the position to be able to better other lives, he should. "Failure to Fortunes" I believe this came from his misfortunes as a child and young adult, he did not believe that life should be so difficult if it did not have to be, which is why he funded so many educational and community benefitting programs. Result Thanks to Milton Hershey, the small town survived the depression and continued to flourish. During WWII Mr. Hershey provided high energy, non-melting, ration bars to the soldiers. Milton Hershey died in 1945 and was said to have measured wealth not in dollars but the usefulness of those dollars. (Wawro, 2000) Milton S. Hershey was a giving, caring, and innovative man. Many people are not aware of all of his accomplishments and the affect he has on thousands of lives, still, to this day. However, there are many other people who are aware and whose lives have been benefited in ways that never would have been possible without the charity of Mr. Hershey. While I was at the Museum in Hershey, PA there was a video of students from The Hershey School who were discussing the impact the school has had on their lives. They were

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talking about the opportunities that were available to them that never would have been if it were not for the school and the education provided to them. Milton Hershey was a selfless, self-built man and although he is most widely known for his Hershey Milk Chocolate bars he had a far more significant impact on the lives of people during and after his life than most people ever will. This is why I think people should know more about Milton Hershey; throughout schools in history classes students learn about the entrepreneurs like Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Vanderbilt but no one ever teaches or learns about the good hearted, honest, persevering man that was Milton Hershey. He was one man that literally started with a bag of sugar and built an empire and even though he could have he didnt squander it away selfishly. This was a man who used his considerable wealth to better the lives of everyone he came in contact with be they orphans or the very people who worked for him. Over all I think he would be a great role model, especially for young people who have faced hardships and may not have a lot going for them. Neither did young Milton, just a passion, and the more times he failed the harder he tried, resulting in one of the most (if not the most) wellknown names in this world; more than anything his story is that of a young boy who tried his hardest, as long as it took, taking as many risks as were necessary in order to achieve one of the most infamous feats in the world and everyone could learn a lesson from him.

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Resources
A Living Legacy. The Hershey Story. 63 West Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033. March 6, 2014. D'Antonio, M. (2006). Hershey: Milton s. Hersheys extraordinary life of wealth, empire, and utopian dreams. New York: Simon & Schuster Failure to Fortunes. The Hershey Story. 63 West Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033. March 6, 2014. Hershey Builds Hershey. The Hershey Story. 63 West Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033. March 6, 2014. Hinkle, S. (1964). Hershey: Farsighted confectioner, famous chocolate, fine community. Princeton University Press. Power of Promotion. The Hershey Story. 63 West Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033. March 6, 2014. Sweet Innovations. The Hershey Story. 63 West Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033. March 6, 2014. Wawro, T. (2000). Radicals and Visionaries: Entrepreneurs who revolutionized the 20th Century. (pp. 195-200). California: Entrepreneur Press Zimmerman, R. (1993). Hershey Foods Corporation: The strengths behind our success. Princeton University Press.