Profile of the Day: Andrew Carnegie

On this day in 1919, American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie died at the age of 83. A titan of the American steel industry in the late 19th century, Carnegie devoted his last years of his life to large-scale philanthropy, directing much of his wealth towards public libraries and education.

Image: Andrew Carnegie / Library of Congress

Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland in a one room cottage. At the age of 13, he moved to America with his family with the hopes of making a better life in the U.S. Although Carnegie had very little formal education growing up, he believed in the importance of books and education.

From his humble beginnings, Carnegie became one of the wealthiest people in the history of the United States. After retiring, Carnegie devoted his time to his philanthropic works. He believed in the “Gospel of Wealth,” that the rich were morally obligated to use their wealth to help improve society through philanthropic causes. Carnegie gave away a large portion of his fortune to charities, foundations, and universities.

Carnegie died on August 11, 1919 in Lenox, Massachusetts. At the time of his death, Carnegie had given away over $350 million of his fortune.

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