Author: Mary Besecky
Interviewer: Emma Fantuzzo
During the Gilded Age, a select few people made immense fortunes. One of them was Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, who became a steel tycoon and one of the wealthiest people in America at the time. Carnegie gave extensively to philanthropic causes. He donated millions of dollars to establish over 2,500 libraries, now known as the Carnegie libraries. These libraries have affected communities, education, and the concept of public libraries in the United States. Carnegie was a strong advocate for the wealthy giving away their money to the less fortunate, as explained in his “Gospel of Wealth” philosophy. But, his charitable contributions were not without controversy. Regardless of how Carnegie made his fortune, his philanthropy has had a strong and lasting impact on America.