consequences."
The life of Rockefeller was to be characterized by the strong example of willfulness set for him by both parents. It was also defined by both the serenity and the lack of scruples. On one hand, he was known for handing out dimes to small boys. On the other hand, he was often compared to a snake, and not just by his enemies. As the founder of what is now possibly the most aristocratic family in the United States, Rockefeller was like many founding fathers of great families. He was no saint, but he definitely had agreeable sides to his nature. He was an American original, a 19th-century, Horatio Alger character who, through hard work and perseverance, built one of the largest private fortunes in the world and, in doing so, helped make America one of the wealthiest and strongest nations on earth.
The Rockefellers, both father and son, lived at a time when the phrase "business is business" was believed to cover a wide range of instances in which moral scruples could be overlooked in order to gain greater profits. The example set by his father had great deal to do with John's later creation of Standard Oil Trust and his often-criticized ways of dealing with opponents. However, John D. Rockefeller did not invent the back-stabbing nature of American capitalism. He merely proved himself to be very good at it. In addition, he used his income to further the Andrew Carnegie tradition of great wealth being used to further the interests of the public. The influence of both his mother and father can be seen in the following quotation:
Early in this country, John D. Rockefeller, perhaps the richest and most powerful industrialist and the most widely hated and feared man in America, established a series of important philanthropic insitiutions to promote medical research, education and public health.
At 16, Rockefeller, whose family had moved to Ohio, finished his courses at a nearby business school and ...