Milton S. Hershey

Milton S. Hershey founded the Hershey Chocolate Company in 1894 with the revolutionary vision of mass-producing a high-quality, affordable milk chocolate bar for the American public, a philosophy that led him to perfect the milk chocolate formula, build the model town of Hershey, and establish the most dominant confectionery brand in North American history.

Milton S. Hershey, born in 1857 in Derry Township, Pennsylvania, was an American confectioner and philanthropist who founded The Hershey Company and the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania. After experiencing multiple business failures in Philadelphia and New York City, Hershey found success with the Lancaster Caramel Company, utilizing fresh milk to create creamy caramels. However, his true passion lay in chocolate, and after witnessing German cocoa processing machinery at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, he purchased the equipment and began experimenting with milk chocolate formulations. In 1900, he sold the Lancaster Caramel Company for $1 million and focused entirely on chocolate, perfecting a process to integrate fresh milk into chocolate without spoilage. He built a massive, state-of-the-art factory in his hometown and established the model town of Hershey to provide his workers with a high quality of life. Hershey’s introduction of the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar and the Hershey’s Kiss revolutionized the American confectionery market, making chocolate an affordable, everyday treat. He also founded the Milton Hershey School in 1909, providing free education and housing to disadvantaged children, and established the Hershey Trust Company to fund the school, which today controls the majority of the voting power in The Hershey Company. Hershey’s legacy is defined by his relentless innovation, his commitment to his workers, and his creation of a brand that remains a cultural icon over a century later.