The Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie, 1835 to 1919, gave away over $350 million during his lifetime. One of his passions was free public libraries, and he’s credited with founding 2,509 libraries in the English-speaking world. As the Columbia University Information Services reports, “Many persons of wealth have contributed to charity, but Carnegie was perhaps the first to state publicly that the rich have a moral obligation to give away their fortunes. In 1889, he wrote ‘The Gospel of Wealth’ in which he asserted that all personal wealth beyond that required to supply the needs of one’s family should be regarded as a trust to be administered for the benefit of the community.” So thanks, Andrew!