Milton S. Hershey

Lore & Background

Milton Hershey was born on September 13, 1857, to Henry and Veronica 'Fanny' Hershey. Of Swiss and German descent, his family were members of Pennsylvania's Mennonite community, and he grew up speaking Pennsylvania Dutch. He had a very limited education, with no schooling beyond the fourth grade. In 1871, he left school and was apprenticed to a local printer, then took up the candy trade after recommendation by his family. He studied under confectioner Joseph Royer for four years. In 1876, he moved to Philadelphia to start his first confectionery business. He later traveled to Denver, where he learned to make caramels using fresh milk, then to New Orleans, Chicago, and New York City, where he trained at Huyler's. His second business lasted only three years, closing in 1886.

Returning to Lancaster in 1883, Hershey started the Lancaster Caramel Company, which became a success, employing over 1,300 workers in two factories by the early 1890s. After traveling to Chicago for the World's Columbian Exposition, he became interested in chocolate. He sold the Lancaster Caramel Company for $1 million to start the Hershey Chocolate Company. Using the proceeds, he acquired farmland near his birthplace in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. The first Hershey bar was produced in 1900. Hershey's Kisses were developed in 1907, and the Hershey's Bar with almonds was introduced in 1908. The factory became the center of the company town of Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Hershey married Catherine Elizabeth 'Kitty' Sweeney on May 25, 1898; the couple had no children. Catherine died of an unknown disease on March 25, 1915. Hershey died of pneumonia in Hershey Hospital on October 13, 1945, at age 88, and is buried in Hershey Cemetery.

Reader's Guide

Milton S. Hershey's significance lies in his transformation of chocolate from a luxury good into a mass-produced product accessible to the general public. His business acumen, demonstrated by the success of the Lancaster Caramel Company and later the Hershey Chocolate Company, established one of the world's largest confectionery manufacturers. Beyond commerce, Hershey's philanthropy was substantial: in 1909, he and his wife established the Hershey Industrial School (later renamed the Milton Hershey School), originally for local orphans, which accommodated around 2,000 students as of 2016. In 1918, he transferred the majority of his assets, including control of the company, to the Milton Hershey School Trust, which holds a majority of voting shares in the Hershey Company. He also established the M.S. Hershey Foundation in 1935, which funds cultural and educational institutions. The Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center was founded in 1963 as a gift from the trust. During World War II, the company developed non-melting chocolate bars for troops, producing over three billion bars between 1940 and 1945, earning five Army–Navy 'E' Production Awards. Hershey's legacy is encapsulated in a bronze statue at the Hershey School with the inscription: 'His deeds are his monument. His life is our inspiration.'

Did You Know?

• Hershey canceled his reservation on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic in 1912 due to business matters, and instead sailed on the SS Amerika.
• The first Hershey bar was sold in 1900, and Hershey's Kisses were developed in 1907.
• During World War II, Hershey produced over three billion Ration D and Tropical Chocolate Bars for the U.S. Armed Forces.
• Hershey had no schooling beyond the fourth grade and left school at age 14 to apprentice as a printer.