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- The Rockefellers were a Jewish-German immigrant family who bore the name Steinhauer before obtaining American citizenship. At school, John D Rockefeller was considered a loner. He felt the class differences between rich and poor from an early age. While he was still at school he worked as a dishwasher and bell boy for his pocket money. He kept his wages carefully. He kept track of every penny, not because it was necessary, he simply enjoyed it. Money, he later said, was "frozen life." He finished high school at the age of 16 and began training as an accountant in Cleveland. He was popular and valued by management as an extremely correct and reliable employee. A circumstance that earned him numerous promotions. Rockefeller lived strictly according to the Jewish faith and was more than modest. When he completed his training with flying colors in 1859, all his employer's efforts to dissuade him from becoming self-employed were in vain. In 1859, at the age of 19, Rockefeller founded the small brokerage firm Clark & Rockefeller Co. with his friend Maurice Clark.
In addition to their marketing activities, they also received contracts for oil drilling in Pennsylvania. This new business area quickly proved to be extremely lucrative and helped the young company gain considerable capital. In 1862, Clark and Rockefeller made Samuel Andrews the new partner in the company. The reason was not the capital he brought with him, but rather important patents for refining crude oil into gasoline. The three of them founded Andrews, Clark & Co. This strategic acquaintance was one of the most important steps in Rockefeller's success story. In 1865 there were disputes among the shareholders over corporate management issues. The now five shareholders agreed to sell the company to the highest bidder. Rockefeller became the sole owner of the company with the then huge sum of US$750,000. He made Andrews his partner again and founded the Andrews & Rockefeller Co. Rockefeller married Laura Celestia Spelman (1839-1915), known as "Cettie", on September 8, 1864. Together they became parents to five children; including the youngest, John D. Rockefeller Jr. (1874-1960), also known as John D. Rockefeller II. In 1866, the company bought two oil refineries in Cleveland.
Thanks to the patents it had available, it was the only refinery capable of producing the purest gasoline as well as heating oil and petroleum. Competitors who did not meet this standard had little chance of survival other than refining Rockefeller's oil. From 1870 the company operated under the name Standard Oil Co. After just two years, the competition was on the rocks. Rockefeller was well on his way to achieving a monopoly on global oil refining. Fearing that his power would be recognized, he bought the three largest refineries in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia through third-party companies without the knowledge of the public and the authorities. These in turn bought all of the Standard Oil Co.'s competitors. At the end of the 1870s, Rockefeller refined 90% of American oil production. A little later he had a monopoly position in this sector of the economy. To control the gigantic empire, Rockefeller distributed power among nine trustees and 40 shareholders within the Standard Oil Trust Co.
In many other economic sectors, large "trusts" emerged, each of which always intended to monopolize an industry. In the mid-1880s, it became clear to the public what company John D. Rockefeller had created. Increasing industrialization suggested that Standard Oil Trust could become more powerful than the U.S. government if Rockefeller were the only one refining American oil. This also increased the pressure from politicians to take action against Rockefeller. The state of Ohio therefore passed the "Sherman Antitrust Act" against the Standard Oil Trust in 1890 (the antitrust laws of the USA from 1890), which was intended to result in the breakup of the company. Rockefeller then moved his administration to New Jersey. There was a different case law here, which allowed him to continue working in a company form that had hardly changed. Only the name was changed to "Standard Oil Company of New Jersey." It was not until 1899 that the legal ruling of 1890 was implemented. Standard Oil was split into 38 independent companies.
In 1901 he founded the "Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research" which was later renamed "Rockefeller University". From 1911 onwards, Rockefeller withdrew from the company's top management, but retained full decision-making power over Standard Oil, which was represented by its numerous whose investments had become a corporate construct that was almost impossible to understand. In 1914, the "Ludlow Massacre" of Colorado occurred. To restore his public image, Rockefeller distributed generous donations in various areas. Rockefeller founded foundations, social institutions and founded the "Rockefeller Foundation" which still exists today. Rockefeller withdrew from public life until his death. His son John D. Rockefeller II completed the construction of the "Rockefeller Center" in New York in 1930.
John Davidson Rockefeller died at his disposal in Ormond, Florida on May 23, 1937 at the age of 97.
The actual value of his company could never be accurately assessed due to the numerous investments and connections. Today it is estimated that his fortune at the time of his death was approximately US$1 billion. This made Rockefeller, taking into account the US$ exchange rate and inflation, the richest person who ever lived. Today the Standard Oil company operates under the name "Exxon" and operates its gas stations around the world under the trademark "Esso". - Shirley Chisholm was born on 30 November 1924 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She was married to Arthur Hardwick Jr. and Conrad Chisholm. She died on 1 January 2005 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.
- Jeffrey Douglas Thomas was born on 11 February 1942 in Stephens County, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for 9 to 5 (1980). He died on 17 October 2020 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.
- Dorothy Johnson was born on 14 October 1936 in Superior, Wisconsin, USA. She was an actress, known for Man Against Crime (1949), The Littlest Hobo (1958) and The Flying Fontaines (1959). She was married to Paul White. She died on 7 April 2022 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
- Writer
Micah Minor was born on 26 August 1991 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Bathroom Break Battlefield (2008), Super Slacker and Foureyes Freezeframe (2009). He died on 25 July 2022 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Janna Lowell was born on 13 March 1952 in Maryland, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Unchained (2021), Diff'rent Strokes (1978) and Mistress Matira Whips You Into Shape (2015). She died on 27 April 2021 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.- Raymond Whitaker was born on 13 September 1899 in Jackson, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Kinkaid, Gambler (1916), Polly Redhead (1917) and The Case of Sergeant Grischa (1930). He died on 21 June 1979 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.
- Chuck Cuidera was born on 23 September 1915 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Chuck was a writer, known for Blackhawk: Fearless Champion of Freedom (1952). Chuck died on 25 August 2001 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.
- Brenda Rucker was born on 22 September 1954 in Montgomery, West Virginia, USA. She died on 14 February 1982 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.
- Bill France Sr. was born on 26 September 1909 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He died on 7 June 1992 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.