The name Rockefeller is synonymous with monuments and centers in such cities as New York and Cleveland.1 It is also the name that is associated with one of the richest families in America and one of the richest men ever to have lived. However, John D. Rockefeller was also one of the most vilified men of his era due to how he came upon his wealth. Whether it was through inauspicious practices or law evasion, Rockefeller became one of the most disliked Robber Barons of his time. His tussles with the media, and specifically with Ida Tarbell, also aided in this negative perception. That perception began to change as time went on, as he became a major philanthropist in the early 1900s. This charitable work in his later years helped improve his public image as time went on and even after his death in 1937.
The public’s perception of Rockefeller during the mid to late 1800s was that he was a Robber Baron as well as a morally compromised man. Ida Tarbell was one of the leading muckrakers of the Progressive Era, who dedicated herself to uncovering the truth about Rockefeller. She helped in exposing a side of John Rockefeller’s identity, which was that of a shrewd businessman who would often seek advantages through unfair means. In addition, she stated that Rockefeller’s philanthropy was tainted due to the immoral means he employed in his acquisition of wealth.2 Although some of Ida Tarbell’s criticisms of Rockefeller came out of spite as well as fact, there was no denying the influence she had in creating the public’s perception of Rockefeller. One result of her exposé was the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to use the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company.3 Thus, one of the richest and most powerful companies in the world was severely crippled.
John Rockefeller’s identity had been tainted, and his company had been broken. Rockefeller was still very wealthy, but he did not necessarily know what to do with all his wealth. Thus, he became involved in his community as a philanthropist. Rockefeller devoted a portion of his money to charity, and he established a variety of institutions to help others. Rockefeller helped establish the University of Chicago and placed William Rainey Harper, someone he trusted, to lead the University. Additionally, Rockefeller always made it a point to give whenever he could to the University.4
Therefore, there is a contradiction when it comes to Rockefeller. How could such a Robber Baron be so generous when his life’s work had been to acquire as much wealth as possible? In addition, Rockefeller was also portrayed as a man who loved his children and taught them the value of money, while going to church regularly.5 But the John Rockefeller that was described by Ida Tarbell was of a man with a dual personality.6 In conclusion, many will call Rockefeller a Robber Baron for the underhanded tactics he employed, and who therefore cannot be absolved of these activities. Some will say that his philanthropic works, charity to churches, and personal character more than overshadow his past transgressions. What can be for certain is that the debate over whether John Davison Rockefeller Sr. should be viewed as a friend or fiend will continue for years to come.
- Salem Press Encyclopedia, January 2016, s.v. “ Rockefeller Center ,” by John A. Flink. ↵
- Steve Weinberg, Taking on the Trust (New York: W.W. Norton, 2008), 234-235. ↵
- Ron Chernow, Titan: the life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (New York: Random House, 1998), 534. ↵
- Allan Nevins, John D. Rockefeller: The Heroic Age of American Enterprise (New York: Scribner’s Sons, 1941), 234-243. ↵
- Ron Chernow, Titan: the life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (New York: Random House, 1998), 187–91. ↵
- Steve Weinberg, Taking on the Trust (New York: W.W. Norton, 2008), 237. ↵
63 comments
Justin Sassman
A very interesting article, I know of Rockefeller from history classes back in high school and all i knew of him was that he was a vile man like the other robber barons, i didn’t ever think that he was just a man who made his money a different way and that most of the hate was due to some reporter that had it out for him, she even tried to condemn his good actions just because of her anger twoards him makes your wonder how many other good people got shamed by the media so muck
Cesar Zavala
Aside from being at the Rockefeller Center once when I was younger, I did not know much about the name. After reading this article I am much more informed about the head of the family, John Davison Rockefeller Sr. Rockefeller seemed like a business man who’s sole objective was to become richer however he could. This may have been what lead him to use ‘frowned-upon’ methods to acquire his riches. The unpopularity this brought to his family’s name must’ve also been what made him become a person who used his riches to improve the community in which he lived in in order to repay the public for what he was accused of.
Nahim Rancharan
This was a very interesting article of John D. Rockefeller. I enjoyed how this article captured one of the most debatable topics in American History as to the status of Rockefeller. I knew somewhat about Rockefeller before reading this article, but I never knew about Ida Tarbell’s role in shaping the world’s view about him. I knew him as being a money-hungry business man, similar to the views of millions of America, but after reading, I could also see the philanthropic and family-oriented side of the man who gave way to one of the most powerful families in America. Good Job on this article!
Teresa Valdez
This article really made me think about the reputation that the so called “Robber Barons” acquired for themselves. Although I understand that a majority of the bad reputation he required from the perspective of one journalist, I have got to take her side. It seems to me that much of his philanthropic work later in life happened because of the bad image he required. Still, the article let me come to this conclusion myself rather than leading me in this direction.
Irene Astran
It is interesting that he thought that charitable work would absolve him of his faults. I think it would have been beneficial for you to elaborate more on what questionable tactics he undertook to make him so disliked. You should have also went into more detail with the term Robber Baron. I was a little confused as to what it signified in the beginning.
Faisal Alqarni
Hi Oscar, interesting story on one of the richest men in the world, I read somewhere that Rockefeller used to be a Sunday school teacher in his local parish for many years, and this really stands in contradiction with his Robber baron title. I believe that if Rockefeller was to be judged for his misdeeds he should also have been celebrated for his good deeds later on as I believe the legacy that matters is the good we do in this world. This was a nice read thank you.
Johnanthony Hernandez
Great informative article, most recognize the name Rockefeller but don’t know much about the man behind that name. But most don’t know much about him, like I didn’t know anything about him other than his name before reading this article. Other than he was considered a Robber Baron and probably one of the worst but became a philanthropist that’s good deeds outweighed his evils. But other than that I did learn a lot from your article and actually want to learn more about him.
Natalia Zuniga
Wow, great article. I had never actually known what he did to get his money I just knew the phrase. It crazy who much of a bad image he had. Most people never even consider or know that now. It cool to know someone did try to uncover and out him for his wrong, but it is also unfortunate he used charitable work to cover them.
Sergio Cervantes
I enjoyed reading this article and learning about how his public image was shaped. His name is known throughout America as we hear it much of the time on the media. I find it fascinating to read about a man who built up his own wealth like he did and then give it away as a philanthropist. It is nice to see that even rich men can give back to their communities, churches, and universities. I never knew who Ida Tarbell was nor the amount of influence she had in revealing who he was in the early part of his life.
Aimee Trevino
Really well written article! I really enjoyed your topic. I think it is so interesting to see how someone who was so determined to make money would also go back and give some of it back to University and charity. It is especially interesting just to see everyone viewing him from Robber-Barron to philanthropist in such a relatively short amount of time. Overall great read!