Today in History - March 12, 1901

Andrew Carnegie
1835-1919

Andrew Carnegie Donates $5.2 Million to NYC Libraries
by Catherine H. Armstrong


If you're a book lover and have spent very much time at all in libraries, then the name Andrew Carnegie isn't new to you.  Many libraries across the nation still bear his name; my own library growing up in the small town of El Reno, Oklahoma, was named in his honor - The El Reno Carnegie Library.


A native of Scotland, Carnegie came from humble beginnings and was the son of a handloom weaver.  Though he had very little formal education, his family believed strongly in the importance of books and learning; a belief that must have stayed with him throughout his entire life.


After moving to the United States at the age of 13, Carnegie worked a series of odd jobs including work in a factory, telegraph messenger and then later as a telegraph operator for the Pennsylvania Railroad.  There he learned the railroad industry and general business principals and, within three short years, was promoted to Superintendent.  Eventually, his experience in the railroad allowed him to broaden his interests and eventually became a self-made man and steel tycoon, making him one of the wealthiest businessmen in the 19th Century.

The Chatfield Public Library
Built with funds from a Carnegie Grant of $6,000

In 1901, Carnegie sold his steel company to the United Sates Steel Corporation for $200 million, and then began taking steps that would dramatically change the course of his life.  As a philanthropist and a life-long lover of books and learning, Carnegie had spent many years building libraries through a variety of financial donations.  On this date in 1901, however,  Carnegie made a $5.2 million donation to New York City Libraries for the construction of 65 branch libraries, arguably the most important financial donation to a library of that time.  While substantial for a single donation, it was only one of many Carnegie would make throughout his life.  Between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie donated more than $40 million that paid for more than 1,600 libraries in communities of all sizes throughout the United States, many of which still operate today.


A huge "thank you" to Mr. Carnegie for paving the way for the readers, writers and book lovers of today.




Sources:


" Andrew Carnegie." 2012. Biography.com 25 Feb 2012, 01:13,  http://www.biography.com/people/andrew-carnegie-9238756

"Carnegie Libraries:  The Future Made Bright." 2012. NPS.gov 25 Feb 2012, 01:19, http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/50carnegie/50carnegie.htm

"Andrew Carnegie Offers New York $5.2 MIllion to Build Libraries." Timelines.com 25 Feb 2012, 01:31, http://timelines.com/1901/3/12/andrew-carnegie-offers-new-york-52-million-to-build-libraries