Milton Hershey Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Milton Hershey
OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur
BIRTH DATE: September 13, 1857
DEATH DATE: October 13, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH: Hockersville, Pennsylvania

PLACE OF DEATH: Hershey, Pennsylvania

more about Milton

Best Known For

American manufacturer and philanthropist who founded the Hershey Chocolate Corporation and popularized chocolate candy throughout much of the world.

watch more videos (4)

Print Cite This

Milton Hershey

APA Style

Milton Hershey. (2012). Biography.com. Retrieved 01:56, Feb 10, 2012 from http://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133

Harvard Style

Milton Hershey [Internet]. 2012. http://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133, February 10

MLA Style

" Milton Hershey." 2012. Biography.com 10 Feb 2012, 01:56 http://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133

MHRA Style

' Milton Hershey', Biography.com,(2012) http://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133 [accessed Feb 10, 2012]

Chicago Style

" Milton Hershey," Biography.com, http://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133 (accessed Feb 10, 2012).

CBE/CSE Style

Milton Hershey [Internet]. Biography.com; 2012 [cited 2012 Feb 10]. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133.

Bluebook Style

Milton Hershey, http://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133 (last visited Feb 10, 2012).

AMA Style

Milton Hershey, http://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133 (last visited Feb 10, 2012).

Synopsis

Milton Hershey was born on September 13,1857 near Hockersville, PA. Following an incomplete rural school education, Hershey was apprenticed at age 15. After two failed attempts, Hershey set up the Lancaster Caramel Co. In 1900 Hershey sold the company, focused on perfecting the formula for chocolate bars, and began building at the site what became the worlds largest chocolate manufacturing plant.

– Milton Hershey

-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

Profile

(born Sept. 13, 1857, near Hockersville, Pa., U.S.—died Oct. 13, 1945, Hershey, Pa.) American manufacturer and philanthropist who founded the Hershey Chocolate Corporation and was instrumental in popularizing chocolate candy throughout much of the world.

Following an incomplete rural school education, Hershey was apprenticed at age 15 to a confectioner in Lancaster, Pa. After completing his apprenticeship in 1876 he set up his own candy shop in Philadelphia, but the venture failed six years later. After an attempt to manufacture candy in New York City also ended in failure, Hershey returned to Lancaster, where his innovative use of fresh milk in caramels proved enormously successful. He set up the Lancaster Caramel Company, which continued to make caramels in the 1890s while Hershey became increasingly interested in chocolate making. In 1900 Hershey sold his caramel company for $1,000,000, after which he concentrated on perfecting a formula for chocolate bars. In 1903 he began building at the site of what became Hershey, Pa., a factory that became the world's largest chocolate manufacturing plant. Based on the popularity of its milk chocolate bars, his new company grew rapidly despite Hershey's refusal to advertise its products. The company town of Hershey received many public amenities under his firm but benevolent control. In 1918 Hershey turned over the bulk of his fortune to the M.S. Hershey Foundation, which supports the Milton Hershey School, a vocational school founded by him.

GetGlue

Celebrate Black History with BIO and GetGlue

All February, check in daily to BIO Black History on GetGlue to unlock stickers, videos, and more!

Your Connections

Hi,

settings

See More Bio Connections

Your Friends' Connections

Profile Connections

Show More Connections

Included In These Groups

- In this group:
- Michael Jackson
- Frank Lucas
- Beyoncé Knowles
478 others
Famous Virgoans

View group
Famous Virgoans 481 people in this group
- In this group:
- Joseph Conrad
- William Howard Taft
- Ida Tarbell
7 others
Famous People Born in 1857

View group
Famous People Born in 1857 10 people in this group
- In this group:
- Steve Jobs
- Frank Lucas
- Coco Chanel
142 others
Famous Self-Made Millionaires

The American Dream is the notion that, with hard work, any individual can emerge from poor circumstances to a life of wealth and security. Despite the economic ups and downs of modern times, the notion of lifting one's self up is still ingrained in our mindset. Some of our most famous celebrities are, in fact, people who came from nothing. Talent, hard work, and good fortune aligned to make these individuals successful business leaders, actors, athletes and more.

View group
Famous Self-Made Millionaires 145 people in this group