Andrew Carnegie, noted businessman and philanthropist, was born on November 25, 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1848.
He is referred to as the "patron saint of libraries" because between 1886 and 1919, he donated over $40 million to establish 1,679 libraries in the United States. Most of the buildings were unique, constructed in a variety of architectural styles. In total, he founded 2,509 libraries worldwide.
Why were libraries important to him? By utilizing a library, anyone can educate themselves and be successful. Colonel Anderson, a retired merchant, lent his own books to young boys, including Carnegie. This is how Andrew Carnegie educated himself. According to Carnegie, "It was from my own early experience that I decided there was no use to which money could be applied so productive of good to boys and girls who have good within them and ability and ambition to develop it, as the founding of a public library".
Carnegie died on August 11, 1919. He had given away $350 million, almost ninety percent of his fortune.