Milton S. Hershey

Milton Snavely Hershey (September 13, 1857 – October 13, 1945) was an American chocolatier, businessman, and someone who gave a lot of money to help others. He learned how to make candies and became well-known for making caramel with fresh milk. Hershey first started the Lancaster Caramel Company, which did very well and he sold it to start a new business.

In 1900, Hershey sold the first Hershey bars, and people loved them so much that he built a whole town called Hershey, Pennsylvania for his company. Hershey also cared a lot about helping others. He created a boarding school for children who did not have homes, and it still helps many students today.

During World War II, his company made a special kind of chocolate bar that did not melt, and it was sent to soldiers far away. Today, The Hershey Company is one of the biggest makers of candy in the world.

Early life

Milton Hershey was born on September 13, 1857, to Henry and Veronica "Fanny" (née Snavely) Hershey. He grew up in a Mennonite family in Pennsylvania and spoke Pennsylvania Dutch.

Hershey did not go to school much and left after the 4th grade. At age 14, he began working with a candy maker named Joseph Royer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Later, he traveled to places like Denver, New Orleans, and Chicago to learn more about making candy. He eventually moved to New York City in 1883 to start his own candy business, but it closed in 1886.

Lancaster Caramel Company

Milton Hershey returned to Lancaster in 1883 and started the Lancaster Caramel Company. The company grew and soon had over 1,300 workers in two factories. After seeing new ideas at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Hershey decided to make chocolate instead. He sold the caramel company for $1 million to begin the Hershey Chocolate Company.

The Hershey Chocolate Company

Milton Hershey used money from selling his caramel company to buy land near his hometown. There, he made his first chocolate bar in 1900. Later, he created other popular treats like Hershey’s Kisses and a chocolate bar with almonds.

With Hershey’s help, the area around his factory grew. New homes, shops, and churches appeared, and it became a special place called Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Philanthropy

Milton Hershey and his wife started the Hershey Industrial School in 1909 to help children. In 1918, Hershey gave most of his company to the Milton Hershey School Trust, which still helps run the school today.

The trust also controls Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, which includes places like the Hotel Hershey and Hersheypark. Hershey also built Hershey Cemetery and started the M.S. Hershey Foundation in 1935. This foundation supports education and culture in Hershey, Pennsylvania, helping with the Hershey Museum, Hershey Gardens, and the Hershey Theatre.

In 1963, the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center was created. It was a gift to the people of Pennsylvania, with money to build and run the hospital in Hershey.

Close call of the Titanic

In 1912, Milton and his wife planned to travel on the ship RMS Titanic. But they changed their plans because Milton needed to take care of his business. They chose to travel on another ship called SS Amerika instead. Many people thought Milton’s wife couldn’t travel because she was unwell, but she had been unwell for years. Milton even paid for a room on the Titanic. This check is now kept in a museum about Hershey’s story.

World War II

During World War II, Hershey Chocolate made special chocolate bars for the U.S. Armed Forces. These included Ration D Bars and Tropical Chocolate Bars. The Ration D Bars were made to stay strong and not melt, even in hot weather. Later, Hershey made Tropical Chocolate Bars that tasted better but were still strong for hot climates. More than three billion of these bars were made and given to soldiers around the world between 1940 and 1945. The Hershey factory worked very hard, making millions of bars each week. For their good work, the Hershey Chocolate Company received special awards from the Army and Navy.

Personal life

Milton Hershey married Catherine Elizabeth "Kitty" Sweeney in 1898. Kitty was from Jamestown, New York. They did not have any children. Kitty passed away in 1915. Hershey later moved her remains to Hershey Cemetery. He also moved his mother and father there.

Hershey passed away from pneumonia in 1945 when he was 88 years old. He is buried in the Hershey Cemetery he built himself, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, next to his wife.

Legacy

There is a bronze statue of Milton Hershey at the Hershey School. It shows him holding an orphan boy. Words below the statue say, "His deeds are his monument. His life is our inspiration."

Hershey's birthday, September 13, is celebrated as International Chocolate Day. In 1995, the United States Postal Service honored him with a stamp as part of the Great Americans series. The stamp was designed by an artist from Norwalk, Connecticut.