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77-512: The Beloit Public Library has been operating for 125 years. Beginning in the late 1850s, local volunteer fire companies began to offer library services. It wasn't until 1859 that the first library in Beloit was established. At the turn of the 20th century, industrialist Andrew Carnegie began donating millions of dollars for the construction of public libraries in the United States. In 1901, J.B. Dow,

154-485: A " self-made man " in both his economic development and his intellectual and cultural development. He was so grateful to Colonel Anderson for the use of his library that he "resolved, if ever wealth came to me, [to see to it] that other poor boys might receive opportunities similar to those for which we were indebted to the nobleman". His capacity, his willingness for hard work, his perseverance, and his alertness soon brought him opportunities. Starting in 1853, when Carnegie

231-538: A $ 600 mortgage on the family's $ 700 home, but the opportunity was available only because of Carnegie's close relationship with Scott. A few years later, he received a few shares in Theodore Tuttle Woodruff 's sleeping car company as a reward for holding shares that Woodruff had given to Scott and Thomson, as a payoff. Reinvesting his returns in such inside investments in railroad-related industries (iron, bridges, and rails ), Carnegie slowly accumulated capital,

308-547: A $ 900,000 renovation of what was the former post office. A fourth move took it, in April 2009, from Pleasant St. to Eclipse Blvd in Beloit Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( English: / k ɑːr ˈ n ɛ ɡ i / kar- NEG -ee , Scots: [kɑrˈnɛːɡi] ; November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist . Carnegie led

385-698: A bond salesman, raising money for American enterprise in Europe. He built Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company , which he sold to J. P. Morgan in 1901 for $ 303,450,000 (equal to $ 11,113,550,000 today); it formed the basis of the U.S. Steel Corporation . After selling Carnegie Steel, he surpassed John D. Rockefeller as the richest American of the time. Carnegie devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with special emphasis on building local libraries , working for world peace, education, and scientific research. He funded Carnegie Hall in New York City,

462-409: A collection of 230 dinosaur fossils—including the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex known to date—as well as exhibits such as Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems , Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians, and Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt. The museum's Powdermill Nature Reserve was established in 1956 to serve as a field station for long-term studies of natural populations, and now forms the core of

539-601: A landmark building listed on the National Register of Historic Places (ref #79002158, added 1979). It also houses the Carnegie Music Hall and the main branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh . Andrew Carnegie donated the library and the buildings. With the goal of inspiring people to do good for themselves and their communities, the terms for donations required communities to support them in exchange for

616-606: A number of temporary and permanent exhibits, including Highmark SportsWorks , the Miniature Railroad & Village , and the Robot Hall of Fame . On February 21, 1990, Pennsylvania Senator John Heinz introduced Senate Bill S. 2151, which allowed the USS Requin , a World War II submarine , to be transferred as an exhibit for the science center. The purpose of the exhibit is for visitors to learn how people lived and worked on

693-483: A philanthropist. From 1901 forward, public attention was turned from the shrewd business acumen which had enabled Carnegie to accumulate such a fortune, to the public-spirited way in which he devoted himself to using it on philanthropic projects. He had written about his views on social subjects and the responsibilities of great wealth in Triumphant Democracy (1886) and Gospel of Wealth (1889). Carnegie devoted

770-472: A point of naming it after Thomson. As well as having good business sense, Carnegie possessed charm and literary knowledge. He was invited to many important social functions, which Carnegie exploited to his advantage. Carnegie, through Keystone, supplied the steel for and owned shares in the landmark Eads Bridge project across the Mississippi River at St. Louis , Missouri (completed 1874). This project

847-512: A public library; in 1886, he gave $ 250,000 to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania , for a music hall and library; and he gave $ 250,000 to Edinburgh for a free library. In total, Carnegie funded some 3,000 libraries, located in 47 U.S. states, and also in Canada, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Serbia, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies , and Fiji . He also donated £50,000 to help set up

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924-675: A regular contributor to numerous magazines, most notably The Nineteenth Century , under the editorship of James Knowles , and the influential North American Review , led by the editor Lloyd Bryce . In 1889, Carnegie published "Wealth" in the June issue of the North American Review . After reading it, Gladstone requested its publication in Britain, where it appeared as "The Gospel of Wealth" in The Pall Mall Gazette . Carnegie argued that

1001-590: A special vault was built to house the physical bulk of nearly $ 230 million worth of bonds. Carnegie continued his business career; some of his literary intentions were fulfilled. He befriended the English poet Matthew Arnold , the English philosopher Herbert Spencer , and the American humorist Mark Twain , as well as being in correspondence and acquaintance with most of the U.S. Presidents , statesmen, and notable writers. Carnegie constructed commodious swimming-baths for

1078-588: A steel rolling mill , and steel production and control of industry became the source of his fortune. Carnegie had some investments in the iron industry before the war. After the war, Carnegie left the railroads to devote his energies to the ironworks trade. Carnegie worked to develop several ironworks, eventually forming the Keystone Bridge Works and the Union Ironworks, in Pittsburgh. Although he had left

1155-547: A substantial breadwinner. But Carnegie attracted the attention of John Hay, a Scottish manufacturer of bobbins, who offered him a job for $ 2.00 per week ($ 70 by 2023 inflation). In his autobiography, Carnegie writes about the hardships he had to endure with this new job: Soon after this Mr. John Hay, a fellow Scotch manufacturer of bobbins in Allegheny City, needed a boy, and asked whether I would not go into his service. I went, and received two dollars per week; but at first

1232-521: A success and a source of profit for Woodruff and Carnegie. The young Carnegie continued to work for Pennsylvania's Tom Scott and introduced several improvements in the service. In the spring of 1861, Carnegie was appointed by Scott, who was now Assistant Secretary of War in charge of military transportation, as Superintendent of the Military Railways and the Union Government's telegraph lines in

1309-460: A thorough education, making the acquaintance of literary men. I figure that this will take three years' active work. I shall pay especial attention to speaking in public. We can settle in London and I can purchase a controlling interest in some newspaper or live review and give the general management of it attention, taking part in public matters, especially those connected with education and improvement of

1386-499: A trip to the United Kingdom. They toured Scotland by coach and enjoyed several receptions en route. The highlight was a return to Dunfermline, where Carnegie's mother laid the foundation stone of a Carnegie Library which he funded. Carnegie's criticism of British society did not mean dislike; on the contrary, one of Carnegie's ambitions was to act as a catalyst for a close association between English-speaking peoples. To this end, in

1463-487: A typical weaver's cottage with only one main room. It consisted of half the ground floor, which was shared with the neighboring weaver's family. The main room served as a living room, dining room and bedroom. He was named after his paternal grandfather. William Carnegie had a successful weaving business and owned multiple looms. In 1836, the family moved to a larger house in Edgar Street (opposite Reid's Park), following

1540-768: The Carnegie Institute and Library complex in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The Carnegie Institute complex, which includes the original museum, recital hall, and library, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 30, 1979. Two of the Carnegie museums, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Art , are both located in the Carnegie Institute and Library complex in Oakland,

1617-605: The Carnegie Institution at Washington, D.C., to encourage research and discovery. He later contributed more to these and other schools. CIT is now known as Carnegie Mellon University after it merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research . Carnegie also served on the Boards of Cornell University and Stevens Institute of Technology . In 1911, Carnegie became a sympathetic benefactor to George Ellery Hale , who

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1694-768: The Peace Palace in The Hague , founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York , Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , Carnegie Institution for Science , Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland , Carnegie Hero Fund , Carnegie Mellon University , and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh , among others. Andrew Carnegie was born to Margaret (Morrison) Carnegie and William Carnegie in Dunfermline , Scotland, in

1771-669: The Philippines . Carnegie strongly opposed the idea of American colonies. He opposed the annexation of the Philippines almost to the point of supporting William Jennings Bryan against McKinley in 1900. In 1898, Carnegie tried to arrange independence for the Philippines. As the conclusion of the Spanish–American War neared, the United States purchased the Philippines from Spain for $ 20 million. To counter what he perceived as American imperialism , Carnegie personally offered $ 20 million to

1848-732: The United States Steel Corporation . It was the first corporation in the world with a market capitalization of over $ 1 billion. The buyout, secretly negotiated by Charles M. Schwab (no relation to Charles R. Schwab ), was the largest such industrial takeover in United States history to date. The holdings were incorporated in the United States Steel Corporation, a trust organized by Morgan, and Carnegie retired from business. His steel enterprises were bought out for $ 303,450,000. Carnegie's share of this amounted to $ 225.64 million (in 2023, $ 8.26 billion), which

1925-473: The University of Birmingham in 1899. As Van Slyck (1991) showed, during the last years of the 19th century, there was the increasing adoption of the idea that free libraries should be available to the American public. But the design of such libraries was the subject of prolonged and heated debate. On one hand, the library profession called for designs that supported efficiency in administration and operation; on

2002-405: The 19th and 20th centuries. In 2001 the museum acquired the archive of African-American photographer Charles "Teenie" Harris , consisting of approximately 80,000 photographic negatives spanning from the 1930s to the 1970s. Many of these images have been cataloged and digitized. The museum's permanent collection includes European and American decorative arts from the late seventeenth century to

2079-484: The Andy Warhol Museum was originally built in 1911 for industrial purposes, but was redesigned for the museum by architect Richard Gluckman . The museum currently has seven floors of gallery and exhibition space as well as an underground education studio and conservation lab. Warhol's primary artistic technique was silkscreen pop art, which he gained notoriety for in the early 1960s. The serial images derived from

2156-525: The Columbia Oil Company in Venango County, Pennsylvania . In one year, the firm yielded over $ 1 million in cash dividends, and petroleum from oil wells on the property sold profitably. The demand for iron products, such as armor for gunboats, cannons, and shells, as well as a hundred other industrial products, made Pittsburgh a center of wartime production. Carnegie worked with others in establishing

2233-518: The East. Carnegie helped open the rail lines into Washington D.C. that the rebels had cut; he rode the locomotive pulling the first brigade of Union troops to reach Washington D.C. Following the defeat of Union forces at Bull Run , he personally supervised the transportation of the defeated forces. Under his organization, the telegraph service rendered efficient service to the Union cause and significantly assisted in

2310-815: The Hartman Steel Works, the Frick Coke Company, and the Scotia ore mines. Carnegie combined his assets and those of his associates in 1892 with the launching of the Carnegie Steel Company . Carnegie's success was also due to his relationship with the railroad industries, which not only relied on steel for track, but were also making money from steel transport. The steel and railroad barons worked closely to negotiate prices instead of allowing free-market competition. Besides Carnegie's market manipulation, United States trade tariffs were also working in favor of

2387-531: The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, he remained connected to its management, namely Thomas A. Scott and J. Edgar Thomson. He used his connection to the two men to acquire contracts for his Keystone Bridge Company and the rails produced by his ironworks . He also gave stock in his businesses to Scott and Thomson, and the Pennsylvania was his best customer. When he built his first steel plant, he made

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2464-520: The Pennsylvania Railroad would be vital to his later success. The railroads were the first big businesses in America, and the Pennsylvania was one of the largest. Carnegie learned much about management and cost control during these years, and from Scott in particular. Scott also helped him with his first investments. Many of these were part of the corruption indulged in by Scott and the president of

2541-472: The Pennsylvania Railroad, John Edgar Thomson , which consisted of inside trading in companies with which the railroad did business, or payoffs made by contracting parties "as part of a quid pro quo ". In 1855, Scott made it possible for Carnegie to invest $ 500 in the Adams Express Company , which contracted with the Pennsylvania to carry its messengers. The money was secured by his mother's placing of

2618-695: The Philippines so that the Filipino people could purchase their independence from the United States. However, nothing came of the offer. In 1898 Carnegie joined the American Anti-Imperialist League , in opposition to the U.S. annexation of the Philippines. Its membership included former presidents of the United States Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison and literary figures such as Mark Twain . Carnegie spent his last years as

2695-825: The U.S. output of steel exceeded that of the UK, and Carnegie owned a large part of it. Carnegie's empire grew to include the J. Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Braddock (named for John Edgar Thomson , Carnegie's former boss and president of the Pennsylvania Railroad), the Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Works, the Lucy Furnaces , the Union Iron Mills, the Union Mill (Wilson, Walker & County), the Keystone Bridge Works,

2772-493: The United States in 1848 for the prospect of a better life. They headed to Allegheny, Pennsylvania , where they heard there was a demand for workers. Carnegie's emigration to America was his second journey outside Dunfermline. The first was a family outing to Edinburgh to see Queen Victoria . In September 1848, Carnegie and his family arrived in Allegheny. Carnegie's father struggled to sell his product on his own. Eventually,

2849-461: The United States. When Carnegie was 12, his father had fallen on tough times as a handloom weaver. Making matters worse, the country was in starvation. His mother helped support the family by assisting her brother and by selling potted meats at her "sweetie shop", becoming the primary breadwinner. Struggling to make ends meet, the Carnegies decided to borrow money from George Lauder, Sr. and move to

2926-486: The United States. One of his two great innovations was in the cheap and efficient mass production of steel by adopting and adapting the Bessemer process , which allowed the high carbon content of pig iron to be burnt away in a controlled and rapid way during steel production . Steel prices dropped as a result, and Bessemer steel was rapidly adopted for rails; however, it was not suitable for buildings and bridges. The second

3003-511: The Western Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. On December 1, 1859, Carnegie officially became superintendent of the Western Division. He hired his sixteen-year-old brother Tom to be his personal secretary and telegraph operator. Carnegie also hired his cousin, Maria Hogan, who became the first female telegraph operator in the country. As superintendent, Carnegie made a salary of $ 1500 a year ($ 51,000 by 2023 inflation). His employment by

3080-585: The basis for his later success. Throughout his later career, he made use of his close connections to Thomson and Scott, as he established businesses that supplied rails and bridges to the railroad, offering the two men stakes in his enterprises. Before the American Civil War , Carnegie arranged a merger between Woodruff's company and that of George Pullman , the inventor of the sleeping car for first-class travel , which facilitated business travel at distances over 500 miles (800 km). The investment proved

3157-592: The building and initial investment by Carnegie. The words "free to the people" inscribed above the entrance of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh illustrate his vision. The other two museums, The Andy Warhol Museum and the Kamin Science Center , are located in separate facilities on Pittsburgh's North Shore . Opened on May 15, 1994, the Andy Warhol Museum is the first museum to exclusively focus on an American postwar artist. The building which houses

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3234-495: The culture's consumerism and conception of beauty are reified in a form of art which represent the identity of constituents in postwar American society. Images used by Warhol, which have made him famous for his contributions to pop art , include celebrities and consumables such as Marilyn Monroe and The Campbell's soup can . The museum's collection includes over 4,000 Warhol art works in all media — paintings , drawings , prints , photographs , sculptures , and installation ;

3311-699: The demand for more heavy damask , from which his father benefited. Carnegie was educated at the Free School in Dunfermline, a gift to the town from philanthropist Adam Rolland of Gask. Carnegie's maternal uncle, Scottish political leader George Lauder Sr. , deeply influenced him as a boy by introducing him to Robert Burns ' writings and historical Scottish heroes such as Robert the Bruce , William Wallace , and Rob Roy . Lauder's son, also named George Lauder , grew up with Carnegie and later became his business partner in

3388-412: The different sounds the incoming telegraph signals produced. He developed the ability to translate signals by ear, without using the paper slip. Within a year he was promoted to an operator. Carnegie's education and passion for reading were given a boost by Colonel James Anderson , who opened his personal library of 400 volumes to working boys each Saturday night. Carnegie was a consistent borrower and

3465-513: The early 1880s in partnership with Samuel Storey , he purchased numerous newspapers in Britain, all of which were to advocate the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of "the British Republic". Carnegie's charm, aided by his wealth, afforded him many British friends, including Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone . In 1886, Carnegie's younger brother Thomas died at age 43. While owning steel works, Carnegie had purchased at low cost

3542-458: The entire Andy Warhol Video Collection, 228 four-minute Screen Tests , and 45 other films by Warhol; and extensive archives, including Warhol's Time Capsules . While dedicated to Andy Warhol, the museum also hosts many exhibits by contemporary artists. When Andrew Carnegie envisioned a museum collection consisting of the "Old Masters of tomorrow," the Carnegie Museum of Art arguably became

3619-467: The establishment of public libraries throughout the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and mostly other English-speaking countries was especially prominent. In this special driving interest of his, Carnegie was inspired by meetings with philanthropist Enoch Pratt (1808–1896). The Enoch Pratt Free Library (1886) of Baltimore, Maryland , impressed Carnegie deeply; he said, "Pratt was my guide and inspiration." Carnegie turned over management of

3696-465: The eventual victory. Carnegie later joked that he was "the first casualty of the war" when he gained a scar on his cheek from freeing a trapped telegraph wire. The defeat of the Confederacy required vast supplies of munitions , railroads and telegraph lines to deliver the goods. The war demonstrated how integral the industries were to Union success. In 1864, Carnegie was one of the early investors in

3773-581: The expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history. He became a leading philanthropist in the United States, Great Britain, and the British Empire . During the last 18 years of his life, he gave away around $ 350 million ($ 10.9 billion in 2023 dollars ), almost 90 percent of his fortune, to charities, foundations and universities. His 1889 article proclaiming " The Gospel of Wealth " called on

3850-419: The father and son both received job offers at Anchor Cotton Mills, a Scottish-owned facility. Carnegie's first job in 1848 was as a bobbin boy , changing spools of thread in a cotton mill 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in a Pittsburgh cotton factory. His starting wage was $ 1.20 per week ($ 42 by 2023 inflation). His father soon quit his position at the cotton mill, returning to his loom, and was again removed as

3927-881: The first museum of modern art in the United States. The museum was founded as the Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute in 1895. The name was changed to its current name in 1986. Today the museum continues showcasing contemporary art by staging the Carnegie International exhibition every three to five years. Numerous works from the International exhibitions have been acquired for the museums' permanent collection including Winslow Homer 's The Wreck (1896) and James A. McNeill Whistler 's Arrangement in Black: Portrait of Señor Pablo de Sarasate (1884). The Hall of Sculpture, constructed in white marble , replicates

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4004-523: The interior of the Parthenon . The Hall of Architecture contains the largest collection of plaster casts of architectural masterpieces in America and one of the three largest in the world. Opened in 1974, the Sarah Scaife Galleries Annex was designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes and Associates. The Sarah Scaife Foundation gift nearly doubled the exhibition square footage. The modernist addition

4081-422: The library project by 1908 to his staff, led by James Bertram (1874–1934). The first Carnegie Library opened in 1883 in Dunfermline. His method was to provide funds to build and equip the library, but only on the condition that the local authority matched that by providing the land and a budget for operation and maintenance. To secure local interest, in 1885, he gave $ 500,000 to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , for

4158-527: The life of a wealthy industrialist should comprise two parts. The first part was the gathering and the accumulation of wealth. The second part was for the subsequent distribution of this wealth to benevolent causes. Philanthropy was key to making life worthwhile. Carnegie was a well-regarded writer. He published three books on travel. In the aftermath of the Spanish–American War , the United States seemed poised to annex Cuba , Guam , Puerto Rico and

4235-404: The most valuable of the iron ore fields around Lake Superior . Following his tour of the UK, he wrote about his experiences in a book entitled An American Four-in-hand in Britain . In 1886, Carnegie wrote his most radical work to date, entitled Triumphant Democracy . Liberal in its use of statistics to make its arguments, the book argued his view that the American republican system of government

4312-425: The museum's Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystems. Research teams that included Carnegie scientists have made discoveries such as Puijila darwini and Hadrocodium wui . Opened in 1991, but with a history that dates to October 24, 1939, the Kamin Science Center is the most visited museum in Pittsburgh. The Kamin Science Center houses the Buhl Planetarium & Observatory, the Rangos Giant Cinema Theater, and

4389-448: The new library received an additional $ 206,000 in federal funds in order to further increase the size of the building. In 1969, the Beloit Public Library won the Wisconsin Library of the Year Award by the Wisconsin Library Association . This award was given in conjunction to both the Beloit and Janesville public libraries. A third move took place in 1972 when the Beloit and East Side libraries merged and moved to downtown Beloit following

4466-411: The old land some part of the debt we owe them by revealing more clearly than ever to them the new heavens." The telescope saw first light on November 2, 1917, with Carnegie still alive. Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a nonprofit organization that operates four museums in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States . The organization is headquartered in

4543-404: The other, wealthy philanthropists favored buildings that reinforced the paternalistic metaphor and enhanced civic pride. Between 1886 and 1917, Carnegie reformed both library philanthropy and library design, encouraging a closer correspondence between the two. In 1900, Carnegie gave $ 2 million to start the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT) at Pittsburgh and the same amount in 1902 to create

4620-431: The people of his hometown in Dunfermline in 1879. In the following year, Carnegie gave £8,000 for the establishment of a Dunfermline Carnegie Library in Scotland. In 1884, he gave $ 50,000 to Bellevue Hospital Medical College (now part of New York University Medical Center ) to create a histological laboratory, now called the Carnegie Laboratory. In 1881, Carnegie took his family, including his 70-year-old mother, on

4697-406: The poorer classes. Man must have no idol and the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry ! No idol is more debasing than the worship of money! Whatever I engage in I must push inordinately; therefore should I be careful to choose that life which will be the most elevating in its character. To continue much longer overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon

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4774-401: The present, works on paper, paintings, prints (most notably Japanese prints), sculptures and installations. Opened alongside the Carnegie Museum of Art in 1895, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History is currently home to over twenty million objects and artifacts. Carnegie oversaw the collecting from 1895 to 1907 and it reflected his ideas of evolutionary development. Most notably, it houses

4851-403: The president of the Beloit public library board petitioned Carnegie for funds to construct a new library building. In return, the Beloit library board was granted $ 25,000 to construct the building on the condition that the city appropriate $ 2,500 each year for its maintenance. By 1961, the Carnegie library building was deemed to be outmoded and a $ 400,000 plan was drafted for a new space. In 1966,

4928-478: The rest of his life to providing capital for purposes of public interest and social and educational advancement. He saved letters of appreciation from those he helped in a desk drawer labeled "Gratitude and Sweet Words." He provided $ 25,000 a year to the movement for spelling reform . His organization, the Simplified Spelling Board , created the Handbook of Simplified Spelling , which was written wholly in reformed spelling. Among his many philanthropic efforts,

5005-492: The rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for progressive taxation and an estate tax , and stimulated a wave of philanthropy. Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland . He immigrated to what is now Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States with his parents in 1848 at the age of 12. Carnegie started work as a telegrapher . By the 1860s he had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil derricks . He accumulated further wealth as

5082-565: The steel industry. Carnegie spent energy and resources lobbying Congress for a continuation of favorable tariffs from which he earned millions of dollars a year. Carnegie tried to keep this information concealed, but legal documents released in 1900, during proceedings with the ex-chairman of Carnegie Steel, Henry Clay Frick , revealed how favorable the tariffs had been. In 1901, Carnegie was 65 years of age and considering retirement. He reformed his enterprises into conventional joint stock corporations as preparation for this. John Pierpont Morgan

5159-409: The way to make more money in the shortest time, must degrade me beyond hope of permanent recovery. I will resign business at thirty-five, but during these ensuing two years I wish to spend the afternoons in receiving instruction and in reading systematically! Carnegie made his fortune in the steel industry, controlling the most extensive integrated iron and steel operations ever owned by an individual in

5236-399: The work was even more irksome than the factory. I had to run a small steam-engine and to fire the boiler in the cellar of the bobbin factory. It was too much for me. I found myself night after night, sitting up in bed trying the steam gauges, fearing at one time that the steam was too low and that the workers above would complain that they had not power enough, and at another time that the steam

5313-484: Was a banker and America's most important financial deal maker. He had observed how efficiently Carnegie produced profits. He envisioned an integrated steel industry that would cut costs, lower prices to consumers, produce in greater quantities and raise wages to workers. To this end, he needed to buy out Carnegie and several other major producers and integrate them into one company, thereby eliminating duplication and waste. He concluded negotiations on March 2, 1901, and formed

5390-506: Was an important proof-of-concept for steel technology, which marked the opening of a new steel market. Carnegie believed in using his fortune for others and doing more than making money. In 1868, at age 33, he wrote: I propose to take an income no greater than $ 50,000 per annum! Beyond this I need ever earn, make no effort to increase my fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent purposes! Let us cast aside business forever, except for others. Let us settle in Oxford and I shall get

5467-409: Was around 18 years old, Thomas A. Scott of the Pennsylvania Railroad employed him as a secretary/telegraph operator at a salary of $ 4.00 per week ($ 146 by 2023 inflation). Carnegie accepted the job with the railroad as he saw more prospects for career growth and experience there than with the telegraph company. When Carnegie was 24 years old, Scott asked him if he could handle being superintendent of

5544-477: Was designed to not compete with the existing building. Trustee James L. Winokur says of architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, "He kept the old building out front. He was not terribly concerned about getting credit, just concerned about doing the job right, and he did do it right." The Heinz Architectural Center , opened as part of the museum in 1993, is dedicated to the collection, study, and exhibition of architectural drawings, prints and models. Most of these are from

5621-475: Was in his vertical integration of all suppliers of raw materials. In 1883, Carnegie bought the rival Homestead Steel Works , which included an extensive plant served by tributary coal and iron fields, a 425-mile-long (684 km) railway, and a line of lake steamships . In the late 1880s, Carnegie Steel was the largest manufacturer of pig iron, steel rails, and coke in the world, with a capacity to produce approximately 2,000 tons of pig iron per day. By 1889,

5698-574: Was paid to him in the form of 5%, 50-year gold bonds. The letter agreeing to sell his share was signed on February 26, 1901. On March 2, the circular formally filed the organization and capitalization (at $ 1.4 billion—4% of the U.S. gross domestic product at the time) of the United States Steel Corporation actually completed the contract. The bonds were to be delivered within two weeks to the Hudson Trust Company of Hoboken, New Jersey , in trust to Robert A. Franks, Carnegie's business secretary. There,

5775-529: Was superior to the British monarchical system. It gave a highly favorable and idealized view of American progress and criticized the British royal family. The cover depicted an upended royal crown and a broken scepter. The book created considerable controversy in the UK. The book made many Americans appreciate their country's economic progress and sold over 40,000 copies, mostly in the U.S. Although actively involved in running his many businesses, Carnegie had become

5852-597: Was too high and that the boiler might burst. In 1849, Carnegie became a telegraph messenger boy in the Pittsburgh Office of the Ohio Telegraph Company, at $ 2.50 per week ($ 92 by 2023 inflation) following the recommendation of his uncle. He was a hard worker and would memorize all of the locations of Pittsburgh's businesses and the faces of important men. He made many connections this way. He also paid close attention to his work and quickly learned to distinguish

5929-435: Was trying to build the 100-inch (2.5 m) Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson , and donated an additional ten million dollars to the Carnegie Institution with the following suggestion to expedite the construction of the telescope: "I hope the work at Mount Wilson will be vigorously pushed, because I am so anxious to hear the expected results from it. I should like to be satisfied before I depart, that we are going to repay to

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