See Also:
Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The George Washington Carver Story.
Life Lesson #17 – Achieve True Independence.
It was on January 25, 1783 that Robert and Mary Colgate had a son. They named him William. When William was 15 years old, his family moved from their home in England and settled in Hartford County, Maryland. Then, only about a year later, young William left home because his father was too poor to continue supporting him. He took all his possessions with him in a bundle and headed for New York.
Along his journey, he remembered the encouraging words of his mother and also the words of a boat captain he had met. They both told him to earn his way by working hard and by being honest in his business dealings. He lived by those words and made certain to always pay what he owed. He soon set up a business making soap and candles. Although it took him about five years to get a really good business going, Colgate & Company became the first great soap-making company in the United States. The business began growing almost faster than he could keep up with it. He started making a lot of money, and he gave a lot of the money he made to churches and to other organizations that helped people. He was a very generous and a very thankful man whose example we could all follow.
Today, more than 200 years after its beginning, his company is called Colgate-Palmolive. So, the next time you go to the store with your parents, look for that name or just the name Colgate on a lot of different products. When you do, remember the young man and his honesty, his generosity, and his thankfulness. Remember all the things that made William Colgate a HERO.
– Jim Lord