Milton S. Hershey
| Milton S. Hershey | |
|---|---|
Hershey in 1905
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| Born |
Milton Snavely Hershey September 13, 1857 Derry Township, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | October 13, 1945 (aged 88) Cherry, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Resting place | The Hershey Memorial, Hershey Cemetery, Hershey, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania 40.3083229 N, 76.6383057 W |
| Residence | High Point, Hershey, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | The Chocolate King, The Builder |
| Education | Started school at 6 years old and finished through fourth grade |
| Occupation | Confectioner, philanthropist |
| Known for | The Hershey Company-Founder, Hershey Bar, Hershey, Pennsylvania-founder/planner |
| Net worth | approx. $10 billion USD |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine "Kitty" Sweeney (1871-1915); no children |
| Parent(s) | Henry Hershey, Fanny Snavely Hershey |
| Website | www.Hersheys.com |
Milton Snavely Hershey (September 13, 1857 – October 13, 1945) was an American confectioner and philanthropist. He founded the Hershey Chocolate Company and the "company town" of Hershey, Pennsylvania, eventually becoming a great success. As he and his wife had no children, they turned to philanthropy.
He was honored by the United States Postal Service with the issue on September 13, 1995 of a 32¢ Great Americans series (1980–2000) definitive postage stamp (Scott #2933).
Milton Hershey was born on September 13, 1857 to Henry and Veronica "Fanny" Snavely Hershey. Born the son of a Christian father, his family were members of Pennsylvania's Mennonite community. His ancestors were Swiss and German and had settled in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. He grew up speaking Pennsylvania Dutch. Like many rural young people of the time, Milton was expected to help out on the family farm, and he learned early on of the value of hard work and perseverance. Henry Hershey rarely stayed anywhere very long, and was prone to leaving his wife and child for long periods. Because of this, Hershey had a very limited education with no schooling after 4th grade.
In 1871, Milton Hershey left school for good and was apprenticed to a local printer who published a German-English newspaper. He did not like that kind of work and he thought it was very boring. One day at work there, he accidentally dropped his hat in one of the machines. Because his boss was hot-tempered, he was fired shortly after. He was worried to see how his parents would react. His father asked Sam Ernst to take him back, and he did decide to give him a second chance, but Mattie Snavely, his aunt, and his mother had a different idea. They wanted him to learn the trade of candy making instead. So, his mother arranged for the 14-year-old Hershey to be apprenticed to a confectioner named Joseph Royer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Over the next four years, Hershey learned the craft of creating confections. In 1876, he moved to Philadelphia to start his first confectionery business.
Milton then traveled to Denver and, finding work at a local confectioners, learned how to make caramels using fresh milk. He then went to New Orleans and Chicago looking for opportunities, before settling in New York City in 1883 and training at Huyler's. He started his second business which, while initially successful, lasted only three years, closing in 1886.
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