JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER | Risk the favored Trade

On this day in 1937, the world bid farewell to John D. Rockefeller, one of the most consequential figures in American history. Known as the driving force behind Standard Oil, Rockefeller transformed the landscape of energy, business strategy, and wealth creation. He was a titan of the Gilded Age, whose empire fueled modern capitalism, and a visionary philanthropist whose generosity reshaped medicine, education, and scientific advancement for generations.

This original poem from Red, White & Verse reflects on the complexity and impact of Rockefeller’s legacy—from his calculated rise in the oil fields to his deep belief in work as a sacred service to others. Through elegant verse, it examines the duality of a man who was both a master of ruthless efficiency and a pioneer of purposeful giving.

John D. Rockefeller

Risk the favored Trade

In the pump of progress, where dreams and reality blend,

Rises the spirit of enterprise, a journey without end.

Through the haze of uncertainty, the entrepreneur strides,

Guided by an inner light, where daring genius resides.

Courage is the currency, risk the favored trade,

In the marketplace of vision, where great ideas are made.

The grindstone hums with tenacity, with every toiling hour,

Hard work the forge, determination its power.

The needs of the community, the entrepreneur’s call,

An opportunity for service, to better one and all.

In the dance of commerce, each invention takes its part,

A symphony of progress, from the entrepreneur’s heart.

Born in humble quarters, in Richford’s lowly sphere,

Young Rockefeller found his stride, his vision crystal clear.

From modest beginnings, a school of a government's making,

A titan rose, in oil’s embrace, a sleeping giant waking.

Oil’s siren call he answered, in the decade sixty-fold,

His path twined with kerosene’s rise, a tale to be told.

Standard Oil was his creation, his masterpiece, his child,

Through oil’s tumultuous landscape, he navigated, beguiled.

His strategies were ruthless, yet shrewdly they were cast,

Integration, alliances, a shadow to last.

His empire grew, expanded, oil’s kingdom he did claim,

Till Standard Oil was synonym with Rockefeller’s name.

Yet wealth was not his only goal, nor power his sole creed,

Philanthropy found favor in every generous deed.

Chicago’s proud university, the institute of lore,

Gifts from Rockefeller’s bounty, but hinting at much more.

Dissolution came to Standard Oil, antitrust its bane,

Yet from its broken pieces, sprang companies like rain.

His legacy of industry, a path for others laid,

In business tactics, strategy, a foundation strongly made.

The Gilded Age bore witness to his towering rise,

His name etched in history, under industrial skies.

Yet beneath the wealth and power, the oil tycoon’s great feat,

Lay the heart of a philanthropist, a rhythm soft and sweet.

Rockefeller’s tale continues, in the lessons that we glean,

In the ethics of our leaders, in society’s grand scene.

A symbol of an epoch, of an industrious age,

His life a lyrical testament on history’s vast page.

In the tapestry of nationhood, each thread uniquely spun,

Lie countless tales of toil, of battles hard won.

In the crucible of creation, beneath the artisan’s hand,

Dreams take shape and form, in this great and fertile land.

Work is the organized way we serve one another, 

A witness to dedication, a pact like no other.

In every humble endeavor, in each monumental task,

Lies the heart of America, beneath our star-spangled mask.

By Greg McNeilly