HERSHEY, Pa., May 13, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Milton Hershey's commercial contributions have earned him accolades as the chocolate king. However, he also channeled his talent, and energy, and all of his wealth into philanthropic endeavors that changed young lives. In his new book, Hershey: Ideal Community for Orphans (now available through AuthorHouse), John F. Halbleib offers readers the first a comprehensive looka glimpse into the mind, and mission, and philanthropy of this extraordinary man.
Halbleib's years of thorough research culminate in this exploration of Hershey's remarkable achievement, The Hershey Industrial School, now known as the Milton Hershey School, which includes the town of Hershey, Pa. Founded in 1909, this philanthropy was established to benefit orphans in a way that merely donating charity could not: Hershey's goal was to teach young boys the skills they needed to become productive and successful members of society. Moreover, he strove to develop each individual according to his unique attributes, interests and commitments and to provide each with a real home.
Hershey tells the fascinating story of a man's vision to create, and decades of building, an institution that took decades to build and benefited an entire community. For disadvantaged children, it provided a real home and family, where they could overcome adversities inherent to suffering the loss of one or both parents. In addition, The Hershey Industrial School, which includes the "ideal community" created by Milton and Catherine Hershey, benefited all who were involved. Such school, which today has more than $6 billion in assets, was the permanent institution created for America's orphans.
"The overall philanthropy of the Hersheys is unique and includes the town of Hershey, a broad range of activities and many decades of effort and investmenttime," writes Halbleib. Hershey delivers a comprehensive view of the innovative strategy and meticulous planning behind this noble endeavor, which profoundlypotentially positively reshapeded and saved many young lives, and today remains a legacy of love, hard work and Christian values.
From 1999 through 2002, Halbleib represented the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association (MHSAA) on a pro bono basis through the law firm, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw. For his achievements, he was the first recipient of his firm's annual pro bono award. This representation received national recognition, including in The American Lawyer and People Weekly. Halbleib personally investedcompiled more than 9,800 hours of research on the Hersheys' philanthropy, and his and others' efforts led to many new benefits for the institution, its students and graduates. He received his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University and has more than 20 years of law practice experience. For more information, visit www.miltonshershey.com.
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