1835-1919

American Businessman and Philanthropist

Andrew Carnegie embodied the "rags-to-riches" American dream. A poor Scottish immigrant, he amassed great fortune as a financier, then built an empire in the steel industry. Later in life, Carnegie devoted his time to giving away his money and became history's most prominent philanthropist.

Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, on November 25, 1835, Carnegie was the son of a weaver. Like the millions of immigrants pouring into the United States, he and his family searched for a better way of life. They settled in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now Pittsburgh). With little formal education, Carnegie went to work at age 13 as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill. Later, Carnegie became one of the city's best telegraph operators and advanced through a series of jobs with Western Union.

Carnegie's work with the Pennsylvania Railroad, however, served as his apprenticeship into the business world. Thomas Scott, the...