John Davidson Rockefeller was at one time the world's richest man. He made his good fortune through the oil business. Many things have been written about Rockefeller's business deals. His first big industrial combination was made by using business methods that were questionable. Later though he made contributions to the welfare of people in America. Before he died, Rockefeller had given away $500 million to welfare. Most of that money went to foundations and organizations. The Rockefeller Foundation was the best known of all the foundations where the money went to. Also, the Rockefeller Institute, the General Education Board, and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, were of his well-known foundations.
             Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York on July 8, 1839. He was the second of six children and the first son of Eliza Davidson and William Avery Rockefeller. Eliza and William's ancestors came from Germany in the 1720's. William, who was also known as Big Bill, was not really a good model for John to follow. In 1849, William was charged for rape and John's family moved from Richford to Owego, New York to avoid the trial. Big Bill was a mix of a businessman and charlatan. He could speculate on land as well as cure cancer, as he claimed. Big Bill lived a double life. In his other life he lived by the name of Dr. Levingston and married another woman while married to Eliza. William definitely did not teach John rules of having good morality; however, he did teach him a lot about business and money transactions. That came to John's advantage with his later life. John's mother, Eliza, raised John in the protestant ethic of hard work and worship. John's devotion to the church came from his mother and probably influenced all the charity that he showed in his life.
             John's life story is one of those rags to riches type stories. When John was fourteen years old, his famil
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