John Rockefeller and Laura Spelman: Billions, Austerity, and 50 Years of Family Harmony

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

John Rockefeller has gone down in history forever as the first dollar billionaire. In business, there was no man more ruthless and harsh. They called him Mephistopheles of Cleveland and the Reverend Dollar Pastor. At the same time, for half a century he was tenderly devoted to his wife, and at night he wiped away the tears of children.

John Rockefeller

He was born into a poor family, but from childhood he was attracted by one single goal in life: to become rich. The first inclinations of an entrepreneur appeared in childhood. Already at the age of seven, he safely bought sweets in the store, so that he could then sell them piece by piece to his sisters, thereby increasing his capital.

When raising his turkeys for sale, he meticulously calculated the costs of their maintenance and the possible income. He learned the intricacies of borrowing from his own experience, lending a neighbor $ 50 at 7% per annum.

At the age of 16, John Rockefeller, at the urging of his parents, opts for a three-month course at a trading school instead of the proposed university enrollment. However, the billionaire himself never regretted this, only dispassionately stated the undoubted benefits of rapid training in the secrets of trade.

After completing the courses, he was able to get a job as an assistant accountant in his only job as an employee.

For all his passionate desire to get rich, John Rockefeller was an extremely devout man, attended church with enviable constancy, at the age of 18 he was elected a church headman and managed to collect $ 2,000 to pay off the mortgage for the building that his church occupied.

Laura Celestina Spelman

John met Laura while still at school. The girl's family was considered far from poor, while her head actively fought for the rights of blacks. Laura herself, in addition to supporting her father in everything, also advocated for women's rights to education.

He first drew attention to the girl when she gave her fiery speech in college, the meaning of which boiled down to the thesis: "I myself can drive my canoe."

Laura was very devout and met all the ideas of John Rockefeller about the future spouse. Moreover, in character she was very much like his beloved mother.

Offer

The lovers behaved very decently: they attended services in the church, from time to time played music together, and read with enthusiasm. The girl accepted courtship favorably, but believed that they needed a strong financial foundation to create a family.

John accompanied the marriage proposal with the presentation of a $ 118 engagement ring. In the fall of 1864, they became husband and wife. They made their honeymoon to Niagara Falls, and upon their return they began to create their own family, which had to exist according to certain rules.

The pillars of family life

In modern terms, the compatibility of John and Laura was simply phenomenal. Both of them were distinguished by their extraordinary ability to save money, modesty of requests and adherence to established dogmas. For Laura, family, home and church became the three pillars of happiness. According to John, the basis for everything should be discipline, order, economy and accounting.

Attending Sunday services in church was an unshakable tradition. It was impossible to violate it under any circumstances, even during travel or family holidays.

Laura gave birth to five children, but one of the girls died in infancy. John turned out to be a gentle father, he jumped up to the crib of a crying baby before his wife, he was happy to work with children in rare moments of rest. Three daughters and a son were brought up in compliance with strict rules established once and for all by the head of the family. Children learned to earn money from infancy. Financially encouraged any help around the house, good grades at school, work on their own garden. However, offenses were invariably punishable by a fine.

It is impossible to imagine, but the children had one bicycle, as Laura was sure that it would teach them how to share. Later, John Rockefeller will repeatedly say that without the advice of his beloved wife, he could forever remain a poor man.

Half a century together

In 1914, John and Laura Rockefeller celebrated their family's golden anniversary. At the celebration on this occasion, John thanked God for his beloved, who was by his side all his life.

It should be noted that in recent years Laura was ill, almost never got out of bed. John had already handed over his affairs and therefore had the opportunity to constantly be at his wife's bedside. It's amazing how this man combined a shark's grasp in business and a touching tenderness for his beloved.

Laura Rockefeller passed away in 1915. In her memory, John founded a charitable foundation named after her, which still operates today. John Davidson Rockefeller lived after the departure of his beloved for more than 20 years, not reaching the desired century for only two years.

Unlike John Rockefeller, one of the most influential people of the twentieth century was not at all distinguished by his puritanical behavior and constancy in his connections.