$100,000,000

1920

Rockefeller Makes Largest Christmas Donation in History

NEW YORK, N. Y., Jan. 1. — With his Christmas donation of $100,000,000 to public purposes, John D. Rockefeller brought the total sum which he had given to social, religious, welfare and educational institutions up to approximately $500,000,000. The Yuletide gift was the largest single philanthropic endowment from an individual in the history of the world.

Half of the $100,000,000 goes to the general education board, itself a Rockefeller creation, to be disbursed, both principal and interest, in co-operating with institutions of higher learning in increasing the salaries of their teaching staffs.

The other $50,000,000 goes to the Rockefeller Foundation, chartered "to promote the well being of mankind thruout the world." Of this sum $5,000,000, in deference to a special request of the donor, is to be expended for the development and improvement of the leading medical schools of Canada, which are to be required to raise additional sums from other sources.

Mr. Rockefeller's benefactions to date may be tabulated as follows:

To the general education board $70,000,000
To the Rockefeller Foundation $82,000,000
To the Rockefeller Institute $10,000,000
The son's estimate in 1915 $250,000,000
Religious and other unannounced benefactions, estimated on excellent authority $88,000,000
Total $500,000,000

This Man Had Courage — Sold His Skin for Grafting

1896

Half a dozen men were relating experiences of college days when a young physician said that in cases where students were obliged to eke out their expenses in a professional career by every possible means there often occurred pitiful examples of their courage.

"Suppose, for example," said he, "a case of skin grafting comes to the clinic, any student who will give up his skin is paid five dollars for each bit. I remember one instance in particular, that of a hard working young man who gave ten bits of flesh to graft a new face on a badly burned baby. As the flesh must be healthy and fresh nothing can be used to deaden the pain and it is cut from the inside of the upper arm, the most sensitive part. Slices the size of a silver dime are taken and laid quivering on the wounded part where a new skin is to be grown. This fellow stood there several days and allowed the surgeon to slice off pieces from both arms, each piece bringing the amount stipulate, which paid for extra books, clothing or food, and the poor fellow minded neither the pain at the time of the operation nor the lameness with which he was afflicted for weeks after, neither did he fear the risk of blood poisoning or other difficulties which might ensue.

"He had the satisfaction, however, of seeing a baby face resume its healthy form and his examinations were passed with brilliancy. He is to-day a man well known and honored in the profession." — New York Herald.