J. Ogden Armour

Who’s Who in “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill (Part 4)

Who are the men in this post? A meat packer (J. Ogden Armour), a steel-magnate (Charles M. Schwab), the man who held the “Million Dollar Sermon” (Frank W. Gunsaulus), a railroad manager (Daniel Willard), the king of the blade (King C. Gillette) and a free ebook edition of “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill (see sidebar)

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Who’s Who in “Think and Grow Rich” Part 1

Who’s Who in “Think and Grow Rich” Part 2

Who’s Who in “Think and Grow Rich” Part 3

Who’s Who in “Think and Grow Rich” Part 4

Who’s Who in “Think and Grow Rich” Part 5

Who’s Who in “Think and Grow Rich” Part 6

Who’s Who in “Think and Grow Rich” Part 7

J. Ogden Armour

JONATHAN OGDEN ARMOUR (* November 11, 1863 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; † August 16, 1927 in London, England) was an American businessman and president of Armour and Company, a Chicago-based meatpacking company, founded by his father Philip Danforth Armour. J. Ogden Armour managed to expand the company worldwide and make it one of the largest food production companies in the United States. In the 1948, Armour and Company developed “Dial”, the first antibacterial deodorant soap. It was introduced by using scented ink in newspaper ads. “Dial” became the best-selling deodorant in the United States during the next years.

J. Ogden Armour is mentioned by Napoleon Hill in the millionaires list in “Think and Grow Rich”. His father Phillip D. Armour is mentioned in chapter 6 “Imagination”.

“Capital can do nothing without brains to direct it.”
J. Ogden Armour

Charles M. Schwab

CHARLES MICHAEL SCHWAB (* February 18, 1862 in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania; † October 18, 1939 in London, U.K.) was an American industrialist and steel-magnate. He started his career in Andrew Carnegie’s steelworks and at the age of only 35, Charles M. Schwab became president of the Carnegie Steel Company. Four years later, Schwab was the driving force in building the huge United States Steel Corporation, a company that was being formed out of Andrew Carnegie’s former steel holdings. Charles M. Schwab became U.S. Steel Corporation’s first president. In 1903, Schwab left the U.S. Steel Corporation to run the Bethlehem Steel Company in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Charles M. Schwab made it the world’s largest independent steel producer. Bethlehem Steel Company developed the H-beam, which revolutionized building construction and laid ground for the age of the skyscraper. Even though Charles M. Schwab had become very wealthy, he lost his vast fortune due to his dissolute lifestyle and the stock market crash of 1929. When he died in 1939, he was over US$ 300.000 in debt.

Napoleon Hill mentions Charles M. Schwab several times in “Think and Grow Rich”. Once he writes: “This single application of the secret, by that young man -Charles M. Schwab- made him a huge fortune in both money and OPPORTUNITY.”

“A man to carry on a successful business must have imagination. He must see things as in a vision, a dream of the whole thing.”
Charles M. Schwab

Frank W. Gunsaulus

FRANK WAKELEY GUNSAULUS, D.D., LL.D. (* January 1, 1856 in Chesterville, Morrow County, Ohio; † March 17, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois) was an American educator, preacher and author. He has become famous for his “Million Dollar Sermon” which made him raise the sum of one million dollars from meat packer and grain merchant Philip Danforth Armour. Dr. Gunsaulus used the money to found the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago (now: Illinois Institute of Technology) where he served as president for its first 27 years. Napoleon Hill tells the story of the “Million Dollar Sermon” in his famous book “Think and Grow Rich”. Dr. Frank W. Gunsaulus was and still is one of Chicago’s best known citizens. “His extraordinary energy, masterful oratory skills, and intellectual talents influenced the city’s spiritual, educational, cultural, and civic development for decades.”, Wikipedia says.

In “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill tells the story of Frank W. Gunsaulus raising one million dollars within a week (in chapter 6 “Imagination”, paragraph “What I would do if I had a million dollars”).

“(…) the moment I reached a definite decision to get the money within a specified time, a strange feeling of assurance came over me, such as I had never before experienced.”
Frank W. Gunsaulus

Daniel Willard

DANIEL WILLARD (* January 28, 1861 in Hartland, Vermont; † July 6, 1942 in Hartland, Vermont) was an American railroad executive and president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from 1910 to 1941. Even though Daniel Willard had to leave College after 6 months due to poor eyesight, he managed to work his way up from being a track laborer on the Vermont Central Railroad to becoming a locomotive engineer on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. “Uncle Dan” later continued his career with several railroad companies. Daniel Willard had worked in almost every segment of railroading before he at last became the president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and held this position for 32 years, which was the longest tenure of any B&O president.

Napoleon Hill mentions Daniel Willard in the author’s preface of “Think and Grow Rich” (on the list of millionaires).

“33% of all the suggestions tend to fix things that the men want, no special advantage to the company, but are desirable from the standpoint of the men, and we have been glad to do those things because they helped bring about a state of mind which made the men satisfied.“
Daniel Willard

King C. Gillette

KING CAMP GILLETTE (* January 5, 1855 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; † July 9, 1932 in Los Angeles, California) was an American businessman and inventor. King C. Gillette is most famous for his invention of the safety razor and in particular, the thin and affordable steel blade. In 1901 King C. Gillette founded the American Safety Razor Company (later renamed in Gillette Safety Razor Company) in order to sell his razors and blades. Production started in 1903 and after a weak first year sales increased dramatically. Gillette expanded his company internationally and established manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, England, France and Germany. In 1918, the U.S. Army bought a field razor set for all American soldiers which boosted sales once again.

King Gillette is mentioned by Napoleon Hill in his book “Think and Grow Rich”. He is part of the list of those who understand and apply the Carnegie secret.