The Founder Of Hershey's Chocolate May Have Been The Most Generous CEO Of All Time
For one of history’s most successful businessmen, Milton Snavely Hershey came from pretty humble beginnings. But at the turn of the 20th century, the Pennsylvania native built the world’s largest chocolate manufacturing company and pioneered mass production techniques. Not only did Hershey help bring the candy to a wider market, but he also put his wealth where he believed it was needed. Through that, he changed the world forever — even if many of his contributions have been forgotten by the broader public.
A broken family
Hershey was born into a rural farming family in September 1857 in Derry Township, and was a descendant of immigrants who had moved to the U.S. from Germany and Switzerland in the 1700s. His mother, Veronica “Fanny” Hershey, became a single parent by the time the future entrepreneur was ten years old, after she became separated from her husband Henry.
Pennsylvania Dutch
Fanny taught Hershey the importance of working hard from a young age, a characteristic apparently common among the “Pennsylvania Dutch” community of which they were a part. She is believed to have been the daughter of a Mennonite clergyman and, over time, it became clear that her attitudes didn’t align with her husband’s.
Torn apart
Henry, for his part, apparently didn’t have the same work ethic as his wife. He struggled to hold onto jobs, though he always had big dreams. Regardless, he and Fanny later separated after she lost patience with his alleged failures, and Fanny and Henry were left on their own by 1867.
Few educational opportunities
Fanny clearly believed in hard work but, interestingly, not necessarily in schooling or even reading. Hershey had very little formal education and hadn’t studied beyond the fourth grade. However, his emphasis on the benefits of a good education later in his life would indicate that he disagreed with his mother’s opinions on schooling.
