John Davison Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839 in Richford, New York. He was the second born of six children in the family. His father, William Avery Rockefeller, was an entrepreneur. He claimed to have the ability to cure cancer patients and charged up to $25 per treatment. His mother was a very religious and well-organized woman. Growing up Rockefeller began his business career early by selling candy and doing chores for his neighbors. No one knew that this young man would become probably the richest man ever. In 1851 his family moved to Owego, where he attended Owego Academy. In 1853 they moved again to Cleveland, Ohio. Even without his father around, Rockefeller remained very determined and well organized. When he was just 16 years old, Rockefeller began working as an office clerk for a company specializing in grain and coal. Just four years later, at the age of 20, Rockefeller was dissatisfied with his salary and founded his own commission company. In 1863, Rockefeller and his partners invested in a Cleveland oil refinery. This was the beginning of a dominant oil career for the young Rockefeller. In 1864, Rockefeller married a woman named Laura Spelman. She was born and raised in Ohio. His father was an abolitionist and particularly active in the Underground Railroad. Together they had four daughters and one son. In 1865 the early stages of the Standard Oil Company began to develop. Rockefeller bought out some of the partners he had previously worked with so he could control the oil refinery. By this time their oil refinery had become one of the largest in the Cleveland area. In 1870, Rockefeller officially founded the Standard Oil Company with some partners. However,… middle of paper… ller sets the standard for future billionaires in terms of giving back to their communities. At the same time, Rockefeller was such a business magnate that the United States had to act to prevent such actions from happening again. Rockefeller changed the world of business forever and whether it was for better or worse, we will never know. Works Cited Chernow, Ron. "Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr." H-Net Reviews. Np, nd Web. April 10, 2014.Parsons, Edward. “John Davison Rockefeller, Sr (1839-1937) – Find a Memorial Grave.” John Davison Rockefeller, Sr. Finds a grave and a spider web. April 21, 2014. Poole, Keith. "John D. Rockefeller, Sr." PBS. PBS and Web. April 20, 2014. "John D. Rockefeller." History.com. A&E and Web Television Networks. April 16, 2014. "John D. and Standard Oil." Links A to Z. Bowling Green State University, nd Web. April 22. 2014.