Born November 25, 1835

Dunfermline, Scotland

Died August 11, 1919

Lenox, Massachusetts

Industrialist and philanthropist

Andrew Carnegie. AP/Wide World Photos.

"Concentrate your energies, your thoughts and your capital. The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket."

Andrew Carnegie stands as a symbol of the idea that immigrants could come to the United States and make a vast fortune. In Carnegie's case, he came to the United States from his native Scotland at age thirteen and worked his way from poverty to one of the great fortunes of the world based on manufacturing steel. In retirement, Carnegie gave away several hundred million dollars, a significant portion of his fortune during his lifetime. He financed public libraries throughout the United States as well as donated money to universities and bought organs for churches.

The Industrial Revolution

In one respect, Carnegie shared an experience with...