Ms. Berry traveled the United States and the world seeking support for her school. She sought the captains of industry in the early 1900’s to make contributions to this noble work: including; Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, to name a few. Even President Teddy Roosevelt visited Berry College in 1910.
As the story goes, she wrote Henry Ford asking for a contribution. Mr. Ford was not known for his philanthropy. He sent her a small donation, some say a dime.
Not dissuaded, Ms. Martha had a plan. After a few months she wrote Mr. Ford back. Letting him know she had taken his meager investment, bought peanut seeds, planted a crop and brought in a significant harvest. Mr. Ford was impressed and ended up being a lifelong partner with Berry College building the magnificent Ford Buildings, which stand today as a city on a hill and a main feature of the campus.
His investment in Berry College sustained them through the depression in the 30’s and lives as a beautiful and lasting monument.
Reflect: What will be your legacy? What will you leave behind? What small seed can you plant today that will become a future harvest for others to benefit from and enjoy?
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.