John was born on July 8, 1839, in Richford, New York. He was the second of six children and the founder of the Standard Oil Company. John built an oil refinery in Cleveland. I feel John must have been a dedicated, hard working, young man who set high goals. The company was the largest refinery in the area at that time. He created the first great U.S. business trust. John dominated the oil industry and was able to create a monopoly. He lowered prices and wages which allowed him to buy out his competitors until the Standard Oil Company controlled nearly all the refineries in Cleveland. Workers of the Standard Oil Company were called Robber Barons.
The Standard Oil Company was found violating the Sherman Anti Trust Act and was made illegal by the Supreme Court.
John became a philanthropy; a person who gives away a large amount of their own money to a charity or worthy cause. He created major philanthropic institutions including the Rockefeller Foundation, Medical Institution, and University of Chicago. Generosity was definitely a way to describe John for he donated more than $500 million to charities.
John died on May 23, 1937.
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