Milton Hershey

Mr. Milton Hershey (http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1 (Hershey Community Archives))

Milton Hershey is my hero because he was a determined inventor, a successful businessman, and an extraordinarily generous person. He is best known for inventing the world famous Hershey Chocolate Company. Born into a poor family in a farmhouse in Derry Township, Pennsylvania (near what is now the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania), Milton Hershey was twelve by the time he finished fourth grade. He dropped out of school after finishing only fourth grade, but his poor education and difficult childhood didn't stop him from becoming an extremely successful inventor and a man with a heart of gold. Milton Hershey passed away on October 13, 1945 at the age of 88, but his legacy lives on in his town, his school, and in every chocolate lover.

Milton Hershey was an inventor who changed the world. Mr. Hershey created Hershey Chocolate, the most popular brand of chocolate in North America and the world's biggest chocolate company. Before Milton Hershey invented Hershey Chocolate, chocolate wasn't common in North America. It was expensive and only sold in specialty shops. However, Milton Hershey single-handedly changed that after traveling to Germany where he learned how to make chocolate to use on his caramels for his Lancaster Caramel Company. He lived among many dairy farms. With milk being a key ingredient for chocolate, he knew he was on to something. Once he got home, he decided to try to make his own chocolate. By experimenting, he figured out how to make exceptional chocolate using fresh, sweet, local condensed milk. This is how Hershey Chocolate was born and how Milton Hershey came to be the leader of the candy business in North America forever.

Milton Hershey exhibited a non-quitting spirit in everything he did. He was born into a poor family on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. After dropping out of school after fourth grade, he focused on developing a candy empire beginning with caramels. He had multiple failures in business before he made the Hershey Chocolate Company, such as his job as a printer's apprentice and the shutting down of the first candy shop that he opened when he was eighteen, but he never gave up. His work was so successful and his nature was so dedicated, that as his empire grew, so did the town in which he lived. Hershey, Pennsylvania was established to support the factory workers and their families. Hershey is still a growing and thriving community today and, of course, a popular tourist attraction complete with an amusement park, water park, zoo, museum and factory tour. None of this would have happened if Mr. Hershey had not exhibited extraordinary determination.

Milton Hershey was an extraordinarily generous person. Refusing to fire a single employee during the years of the Great Depression because he didn't want to feel responsible for anyone's hardship set him apart from just about every businessman in his time. By donating large sums of money to good causes, he is also well known for being a philanthropist. He made a large fortune from the Hershey Chocolate Company, but he kept hardly any of it for himself. Instead, he chose to use his fortune to benefit his community. That included funding schools, a local library, a professional sports arena, a community center and the Milton Hershey School. This school, founded in 1909, is a school for orphans and children in need. The Milton Hershey School, funded by his empire over 100 years ago, is still in operation today. It is the largest residential pre-K through 12th grade school in the United States, and provides free education, career training, housing, clothing, health care, and counseling to over 1,100 children who need it. The mission of the Milton Hershey School today is "to nurture and educate children in financial and social need." To Milton Hershey, seeing these children succeed and be happy was better than anything he could buy himself. Milton Hershey lived a selfless life.

Milton Hershey was certainly an American hero. Against the odds, he was able to succeed and give back. Mr. Hershey created the world's biggest chocolate company, Hershey Chocolate. This company brought chocolate to North America, made chocolate easily accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy, and changed the candy business forever. He made a large fortune but chose to give back and share it with those around him. Milton Hershey said, "One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy." Milton Hershey taught us that it is not what you have, but what you do, that brings happiness and makes one rich. Mr. Hershey's legacy lives on and his life offers a lesson to us all: giving is far better than receiving, even if it's simply sharing a chocolate bar! And when you share that chocolate, don't miss the the lesson on the wrapper: "Every Hershey's product you've enjoyed has helped support children in need through Milton Hershey School. Thank you for making a difference!" Milton Hershey was a determined inventor, a successful businessman, a notable philanthropist, and therefore, definitely a hero.