“God gave me my money,” said Rockefeller. “I believe the power to make money is a gift from God to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind.”
Rockefeller could have left his legacy at the enormous fortune he had amassed throughout his career. He would have undoubtedly been remembered as one of the shrewdest and most successful entrepreneurs in history. But, a deeply religious man, Rockefeller was unsatisfied with that.
“The only question with wealth is, what do you do with it,” said Rockefeller. Applying the same focus and shrewdness to his charitable vision as he did with his company, Rockefeller decided early on in life to devote much of his wealth and energy to benevolent efforts. From establishing Spelman College in Atlanta and Spelman Seminary to teach freed female slaves to endowing the University of Chicago, Rockefeller decided to listen to his conscience in deciding how to best use his wealth.
“Having been endowed with the gift I possess, I believe it is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience,” said Rockefeller. “I was trained from the beginning to work and to save. I have always regarded it as a religious duty to get all I could honorably and to give all I could. I was taught that way by the minister when I was a boy.”
Rockefeller also established the Rockefeller University, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, the General Education Board, the Rockefeller Sanitation Commission, and the Rockefeller Foundation. “I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty,” he said. Rockefeller’s work with the University of Chicago even almost led to a nervous breakdown; much of his hair would fall out and he would experience frequent digestive problems. But, he would continue in his quest to respond to appeals for funds from various sources believing it was his duty to do so.
“It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy,” said Rockefeller. He understood that wealth did not equal happiness and while he was appreciative of the fortune he had amassed, he believed that only in giving it away would he understand true happiness. His religious upbringing and his conscience both dictated his duty to do so.
But, Rockefeller’s business aptitude and his keen eye for efficiency were not lost in his charitable vision. “Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it,” he believed. It was only after much careful study and the assistance of expert advisers that Rockefeller made his decisions as to who to donate funds to. He wanted his money to be used as effectively as possible, much like he ran his business.
Rockefeller listened to his conscience and wound up giving away more of his fortune than he kept, which was the second half of the great legacy which he created.
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