William “Lebbie” Lebkicher: Milton Hershey’s Right-Hand Man
The Milton Hershey School Archives recently digitized a handwritten diary kept by Lebbie Lebkicher, a great friend of Milton S. Hershey. In the diary, Lebkicher reflects on his life and offers a glimpse into a man who said very little, but whose hard work and generosity had a long-lasting impact.
Described by Milton Hershey as “the only man I couldn’t out-work,” Lebkicher defined his life through service. Although his tombstone reads 1846, Lebkicher wrote in his own hand that he was born in 1845 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and came of age just as the Civil War began.
At 16 years old, and against the wishes of his parents, he enlisted as a private in the Union Army under Captain J. Miller Raub in 1862. Through his graceful script, one can read his frustrations with the Union command, his humiliation at having to retreat, and his sadness as he took the time to record how many died, were wounded, or went missing in each battle he fought.
After being honorably discharged when his term ended in May 1863, Lebkicher returned home and then reenlisted in January 1865 to work in the construction corps. In May 1865, he was again honorably discharged in New Bern, North Carolina, at the close of what he referred to as “The War of Rebellion.”
Little did he know, though, that fate would intervene and a job he took in 1880 would change the course of his life. In his recollection he states “…1880, went to Philadelphia under the employ of Milton S. Hershey as clerk for his confectionary establishment. Leaving him in December 1881.” After the business failed, they both went their separate ways until Mr. Hershey returned to Lancaster City and Lebkicher offered him a place to stay when his family refused to assist him any further.
Hershey never forgot this generosity and, in return, he named Lebkicher his private secretary and buyer for the Lancaster Caramel Company in 1891. Lebkicher continued to work for Mr. Hershey for the rest of his life.
During his time working with Mr. Hershey, he took on many different roles including treasurer, general manager of operations, and vice president of Hershey Trust Company. He even traveled to South America for six months to research the cocoa bean industry. When Milton and Catherine Hershey decided to start Hershey Industrial School, now Milton Hershey School, it was a natural fit for Lebkicher to serve as one of the nine original board members overseeing operations. While we do not have many details of Lebkicher’s involvement with the boys at the school, we do know that he worked closely with George Copenhaver and oversaw the management of the farms and dairies.
Lebkicher’s diary concludes with an account of his trip around the world in 1910-1911, the details of his pension from his Civil War service, and the birthdays of the Hershey family.
Today, we can see Lebbie Lebkicher as an embodiment of the American Dream–a boy who started life on a rural farm in central Pennsylvania, fought in the Civil War, worked hard, and ended up living a life that few at that time could even imagine.
Although he held many job titles, the one we tend to remember is how he was most often introduced by Mr. Hershey as “my good right hand.”