This spring, friends of ours took us to The Frick Museum & Gardens in Pittsburgh. The Clayton house was built by Henry Clay Frick, the “King of Coke” (not that kind) who partnered with Andrew Carnegie to build a steel empire at the turn of the twentieth century.
The two had a “falling out,” one might say. Perhaps one might call it something a bit stronger. When the two were both in their eighties, Carnegie reached out to Frick from his sick bed asking for a meeting where they might find some sort of reconciliation before they both passed. Frick’s response, “Tell him I’ll see him in Hell.”
My book club is reading Les Standiford’s Meet You in Hell, a chronicle of the bitter partnership between Carnegie and Frick that transformed America.
Carnegie’s legacy is tough to wrestle with. His efficiency and meticulous accounting practices were awe-inspiring. His courage and guts, especially during economic downturns, illustrated a basic lesson: “The best time to expand was when no one else dared to take the risks.” Chances are you’ve enjoyed checking out books at one of the 2,800 libraries he endowed across the nation.
And Frick’s industry added real value to the American market. He wasn’t merely shifting assets to turn a profit. As Peter Barton remarks, “Ninety-nine percent of people in business move preexisting pieces around the board. Entrepreneurs [like Frick] create.”
The rags-to-riches stories of Frick and Carnegie would seem to make them model Americans—poster children blessed in their pursuit of a heavenly mandate to “be fruitful and multiply.”
However, author Standiford hints where the plot leads even from the prelude, where a quote from Seneca stands as sentinel:
“Success consecrates the most offensive crimes.”
What happens when men pursue profit at all costs? Must Christians consider anything other than the bottom line? And what happens when efficiency becomes an idol? What first felt like the gates of paradise might start to get uncomfortably hot . . .
Homeschool Seminar
Greater Washington homeschoolers—We’d love to see you at a seminar hosted by Mary Adamson, certified PA evaluator and Oak faculty member.
Looking for help on paperwork, curriculum and portfolio inspiration, or ideas as you think about a future for your students at The Oaks? Join us June 13!
