William Avery Rockefeller was a common advertising "doctor" who sold cancer treatment tonics for $25 from town to town and town to town. His wife, Eliza Davison Rockefeller, was a deeply religious and very disciplined woman (Poole). John D. Rockefeller was born into a humble existence but received many valuable life lessons from his parents. He learned the basics of business paperwork along with the sanctity of a business contract from his father and the importance of donating money to church and charities at every opportunity from his mother. This less-than-iconic background produced a highly successful businessman and future oil tycoon, who set the global standard for philanthropy. The name of John D. Rockefeller lives on in American history as the richest man of his time and has altered the outcome and life of every American. On July 8, 1839, John D. Rockefeller was born in the small town of Richford, New York. By the age of 12 Rockefeller had already saved $50 for himself and with his mother's encouragement he lent it to a farmer at 7 percent interest. Rockefeller was already learning the lessons of money at a young age. The farmer paid him back and with interest. Years later he fondly remembered this first deal and stated: "The impression was always growing in me that it was a good thing to let money be my servant and not make myself a slave to money." (Poole) Rockefeller remained faithful to his mother's lessons throughout his life and no matter how little money he earned, when the money came he always donated to the church and local charities. Due to his family's move from New York to Ohio, John D. attended two different high schools and, despite being an average student, was incredibly gif...... middle of paper......National Parks Grand Teton and Yellowstone (Rockefeller Foundation). His actions have left a positive impact on society. The Rockefeller Foundation he created is still innovating and transforming the way society lives today. The impacts of his philanthropy are endless. Works Cited Folsom, Burton W.. Entrepreneurs Against the State. Reston, Virginia: Young America's Foundation, 1987. 115-138, Print.Olien, Roger M., Diana Davids Hinton, and Inc NetLibrary. Oil and Ideology: The Cultural Creation of the American Oil Industry. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Web. April 8, 2014. Poole, Keith, “Rockefeller Biography.” PBS, American Entrepreneurs and Economic Growth, University of Georgia, nd Web. April 8, 2014 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/rockefellers-john/ Legacyhttp://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/ our-work