Celebrating Milton S. Hershey: The Unique Philanthropist
In November 1923, readers opened the Harrisburg Evening News and The New York Times to learn about a $60 million gift to children in need. There had been no press conference, special announcement, or fanfare—in fact, the gift itself was given a full five years earlier. The donor was Milton S. Hershey—a man who earned fame and fortune as a chocolatier, but left a legacy as one of our nation’s greatest philanthropists in providing in perpetuity for the school that bears his name.
When asked about his gift and school, Mr. Hershey didn’t take a public bow. He gave credit to his late wife Catherine, saying she and “I decided that we ought to do this. She has gone on and did not live to see the plan completed. It was hers and mine.” He later said that “men of wealth should, while they are still alive, give of their money for the betterment of their fellows, for they cannot take their wealth with them.”
One hundred years later, the impact of Hershey’s benevolence goes far beyond those who’ve attended Milton Hershey School. His gift remains a lesson not just in kindness and human service, but also in leadership. Those who lead today’s organizations and companies across the globe would do well to emulate the example of Milton S. Hershey—for the key traits of humility, resiliency, trustfulness, and generousness that he embodied are as relevant now as ever before.
Humility First
At his core, Hershey was a modest man who looked out for others simply because it was the right thing to do. During the Great Depression, he didn’t scale back and preserve cash. Concerned about his community, he embarked on a great building campaign, employing 600 workers to construct Hershey Theatre, The Hotel Hershey, Hersheypark Arena, and more. As the Hotel was being built, Hershey was shown machinery that could “do the work of 40 men.” To which he replied: “Take them off. Hire 40 men.”
Resilience to Dream and Do
It is well documented that Hershey was resilient and persevered through multiple business failures. As a boy, he was poor, his father was rarely around, and his first foray into the trades as a printing apprentice could not have gone worse. As late as 1886, Hershey was virtually penniless and after traveling the country to learn about candy making, he couldn’t even pay for his belongings to be sent back to Pennsylvania. Many considered him a drifter. But Hershey was instead a dreamer and a doer.
By age 40, he was a caramel-making millionaire and later—through trial and error—perfected the milk chocolate formula that allowed him to mass produce what had long been a luxury item. Hershey once said: “Failure does not have to stand. You can be battered down two, three, four, a score of times, and still come up winning.”
Trusting and Empowering
Hershey was not known to meddle. He trusted his employees, delegated wisely, and supported them fully. For example, realizing he wasn’t a trained educator, Hershey didn’t try to run the school he founded. He hired the best people to do the job, including George Copenhaver—the school’s first superintendent—and his wife Prudence, who lived with students at The Homestead to educate and care for them.
At his chocolate company, Hershey’s philosophy was straightforward: “Every employee, from the highest executive to the lowliest, receives the same treatment, and can go about business without any fear of interference on my part,” he said.
Generous Before It Was Popular
Most notably, though, Hershey was a man of generosity who believed in people over process and profits. If you doubt what has become of his gift, come to Milton Hershey School, and see the difference in the lives of our students. Each of our students has endured hardships that no children should ever have to face through absolutely no fault of their own. Some have parents in prison; others have struggled through homelessness or food insecurity; and the list goes on.
These are the heirs of Hershey’s fortune, who have an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and change the trajectory of their families now and for generations to come. Their past may have been dark, but their futures are bright because of a unique philanthropist who could have done countless other things with his money. I am grateful every day that Hershey had the foresight to choose as he did.
And so, at a time when leaders of companies like Patagonia and Hobby Lobby are grabbing headlines by giving their fortunes away, the truth is, Milton S. Hershey was the trendsetter. He was the original. He was the inspiration. In a world where wealth and influence often come under scrutiny, Hershey’s life reminds us that philanthropy, when driven by a deep sense of social responsibility, can be a seismic force for positive change—no press conference necessary.
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