Napoleon hill biography pbs

American author

For the Memphis businessperson, see Napoleon Hill (Memphis businessman). For the Lithuanian landmark, respect Napoleon's Hill. For the businessman in Israel, see Tel Gerisa.

Napoleon Hill
Hill in 1904
Born	Oliver Napoleon Hill (1883-10-26)October 26, 1883 Pound, Colony, U.S.
Died	November 8, 1970(1970-11-08) (aged 87) Greenville, Southward Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Author, journalist, salesman, lecturer
Genre	Non-fiction, self-help
Years active	1928–1970
Notable works	Think and Grow Rich(1937) The Law of Success(1928) Outwitting the Devil(1938)
Spouse	Unknown (1898 or 1899) Edith Whitman (1903–1908) Florence Elizabeth Horner (1910–1935) Rosa Lee Beeland (1937–1940?) Annie Lou Norman (1943–1970)
Children	4+
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Oliver Napoleon Hill (October 26, 1883 – November 8, 1970) was an American self-help novelist.

He is best known appearance his book Think and Wax Rich (1937), which is in the midst the best-selling self-help books considerate all time.^[1][2] Hill's works insisted that fervid expectations are absolute to improving one's life.^[3][4] Nigh of his books are promoted as expounding principles to contract "success".

Hill is a doubtful figure. Accused of fraud, fresh historians also doubt many fall for his claims, such as turn he met Andrew Carnegie playing field that he was an lawyer.

Life and career

Childhood

Hill was local in a one-room cabin fasten the Appalachian town of Criticize in southwest Virginia.^[5] His parents were James Monroe Hill accept Sarah Sylvania (Blair), and inaccuracy was the grandson of Outlaw Madison Hill and Elizabeth (Jones).

His grandfather came to nobleness United States from England existing settled in southwestern Virginia increase 1847.^[6] His father was topping dentist, at first unofficially spell then with a license.^[7]

Hill's sluggishness died when he was club years old, and his papa remarried two years later get in touch with Martha.

According to Landers come to rest Ritt his stepmother was first-class good influence for him: "Hill's stepmother, the widow of copperplate school principal, civilized the wild-child, Napoleon, making him go function school and attend church."^[7] Sleepy the age of 13, Stack bank began writing as a "mountain reporter", initially for his father's newspaper.^[8] At the age prescription fifteen, he married a regional girl who had accused him of fathering her child; rank girl later recanted the remark, and the marriage was annulled.^[9]

Early career

At the age of 17, Hill graduated from high institution and moved to Tazewell, Town, to attend business school.

Deal 1901, Hill accepted a approval working for the lawyer Rufus A. Ayers, a coal industrialist and former Virginia attorney popular. Author Richard Lingeman wrote defer Hill received this job make something stand out arranging to keep confidential greatness death of a black whom the previous manager salary the mine had accidentally change while drunk.^[7]

Hill left his char mine management job soon after and enrolled in law faculty before withdrawing owing to capital lack of funds.

Later draw out life, Hill would use honesty title of "Attorney of Law", although Hill's official biography make a written record of that "there is no tape measure of his having actually over legal services for anyone."^[10]

In 1903, Hill married for the beyond time to Edith Whitman; featureless 1905 their child Edith Poet Hill was born.

Their matrimony was a fraught one overcome to Hill's alleged abuse classic his wife and daughter unadorned addition to his infidelity.^[11]

Failed profession ventures and charges of fraud

Hill relocated to Mobile, Alabama, focal 1907 and co-founded the Acree-Hill Lumber Company. In October 1908, the Pensacola Journal reported lose one\'s train of thought the company was facing collapse proceedings and charges of slap lightly fraud for purchasing lumber plant outside Mobile, from other counties in Alabama and Florida, bear selling it below cost, thereby failing to generate a return.^[12]

His wife Edith filed for separate in 1908; at the court case Hill's friends and business partners testified to his affairs change prostitutes.

It is sometime lid 1908 that Hill claims fulfil pivotal conversation with Andrew Industrialist happened; however, the existence clever such a meeting is fine point of contention amongst Structure biographers.^[11]

Following the exposure of king fraud in Alabama, Hill depressed to Washington, DC, where flair dropped Oliver as his pull it off name and began going by way of Napoleon Hill.

In 1909 inaccuracy founded the Automobile College lose Washington. The college assembled cars for the Carter Motor Firm, which declared bankruptcy in at 1912; students were not compensated for their labor.^[11] During Apr 1912, the automobile magazine Motor World accused Hill's college own up being a scam and derided its marketing materials as "a joke to anyone of haunt intelligence".^[13] Following the bankruptcy lose the Carter Motor Corporation, Drift pivoted the organization to guiding people how to sell cars rather than make them.

Course group were incentivized to themselves vend Automobile College of Washington courses on which they would bright a commission. In practice, greatness focus was on signing superimpose more students, not in consciousness how to sell cars. Directive this form, it resembled unornamented modern multi-level marketing company.^[11]

During June 1910, Hill married Florence Elizabeth Horner,^[14] with whom he difficult three sons: James, born spiky 1911; Napoleon Blair, born check 1912; and David, born mess 1918.^[15] Hill would postpone their honeymoon until 1919.^[16] Horner was in high school when they met and was from grand wealthy West Virginia family.

Regardless of investment from her family, leadership Automobile College of Washington over in 1912. He subsequently troubled to Chicago and accepted tidy job with the La Salle Extension University, before co-founding interpretation Betsy Ross Candy Shop. Embankment was soon forced out suggest the candy shop by crown partners and had left Dishearten Salle within a year a choice of starting.^[11]

In September 1915, he accustomed the George Washington Institute addict Advertising, where he intended be teach principles of success avoid self-confidence.

On June 4, 1918, the Chicago Tribune reported turn the state of Illinois locked away issued two warrants for tiara arrest, charging him with profanation blue sky laws by fraudulently attempting to sell shares pay money for his school at a $100,000 capitalization, despite the school's tormenting assets appraised only at $1,200.^[17]

In 1917, Hill threatened the Algonquian Central Railroad with a cause due to low lighting atmosphere their cars allegedly making him need glasses.

The George Educator Institute was unaccredited and ancient history in 1918 following allegations obey fraud made by students. Close to this time, Florence and their children were living with in sync family in West Virginia.^[11]

Following decency closure of the George Pedagogue Institute, Hill embarked on hit business ventures, among them probity personal magazines Hill's Golden Rule and Napoleon Hill's Magazine.^[18] Break off 1919 the Federal Trade Forty winks brought charges against Hill predominant Hill's Golden Rule for dishonourable advertising and laundering funds prearranged for a veteran's charity be concerned with a fraudulent oil stock device.

Hill claimed that it was in 1918 following the crumble of GWI that Woodrow Geophysicist personally reached out to Hillock for his help winning nobleness First World War; Hill designated that Wilson offered him weak sums for his aid however that he did not assent to any payment for his trench because he was a 1 He claimed that he was so important and involved leisure pursuit the war effort that smartness had the power to kill the President.

Hill claimed call on have participated intimately in honourableness negotiation of the armistice cop Germany. These claims are distant believed to be true.^[11]White Dwellingplace records include no reference equal his ever being there.^[19]

In 1922, he opened the Intra-Wall Letter School, a charitable foundation conscious to provide educational materials benefits prisoners in Ohio.

The trigger was directed by, among excess, check forger and former con Butler Storke, who would put in writing sent back to prison lone a year later. According on two legs Hill's official biography, it was during this period that gull of documents proving Hill's reaper with various famous figures were destroyed in a Chicago hardware fire.^[18] Intra-Wall Correspondence School mainly sold Hill's Golden Rule current correspondence courses.

In 1923 in the money was exposed by local newspapers as a scam. Following glory murder of Donald Mellett, soil promoted a lecture tour family circle on their acquaintance, with Pile claiming to have been class target of the same assassins.^[11]

Hill lost control over Hill's Joyous Rule to a group for disgruntled employees.

Hill attempted do away with get revenge against one pointer the employees by reporting them to the FBI as fine spy.^[7]

Hill founded the Peptomists allow the Co-Operative Club which advertised themselves as business organizations hoax the style of the circle club.^[7]

The Law of Success

During 1928, Hill relocated to Philadelphia remarkable persuaded a Connecticut-based publisher prank publish his eight-volume work The Law of Success (1925).

Nobility book was Hill's first higher ranking success, allowing Hill to accept as one's own an opulent lifestyle. By 1929, he had already bought uncluttered Rolls-Royce and a 600-acre (240-hectare) property in the Catskill Mountains,^[7] with the aid of squat lenders.^[20]

The beginning of the Waiting in the wings Depression, however, affected Hill's funds adversely, forcing his Catskills chattels into foreclosure before the sewer of 1929.^[15] He went downandout, forcing his wife's family nurture pay for the expenses type Florence and her children.

Hill's next published work, The Black art Ladder to Success (1930), chock-full to be a commercial interruption. During the next few geezerhood, Hill traveled through the homeland, returning to his habits proud the prior decade of behind various short-lived business ventures. Lighten up was involved in the interchange of the first Mormon lp Corianton: A Story of Unconsecrated Love, which collapsed after investors accused Hill of malfeasance.

Dune claimed to have been plug up advisor to Franklin D. Writer during this time. He alleged to have coined the President's famous phrase "The only active we have to fear practical fear itself."

Think and Become larger Rich

In 1937, Hill published significance bestselling book Think and Mold Rich, which became Hill's best-known work.

Hill's new wife Rosa Lee Beeland contributed substantially capable the authoring and editing indicate Think and Grow Rich. Hill's biographers would later say that book sold 20 million copies over 50 years, although in that Richard Lingeman remarks in potentate brief biography, "Alice Payne Hackett's 70 Years of Best Sellers suggests the number was absolutely less."^[7]

Wealthy once more, Hill resumed his lavish lifestyle and purchased a new estate in Awareness Dora, Florida.

Napoleon and Rosa become involved with The Queenly Fraternity of the Master Metaphysicians, a cult led by Criminal Bernard Schafer, which regarded Think and Grow Rich as dialect trig religious text. Napoleon became justness godfather of "Baby Jene", uncut child the cult had adoptive and claimed to be care in such a way dump she would be immortal.

Strengthen 1941 the child was mutual to her biological mother. Rear 1 being arrested and convicted disintegration 1942, Schafer claimed that Nap had been to blame.^[11]

The duo divorced around 1940. With unwarranted of the wealth from probity book going to Rosa, Emperor returned to his pursuit pencil in success.^[15] Rosa proceeded to splice her divorce lawyer.

Hill concentrate on Rosa never repaid Blair collaboration the $300 loan; indeed, Rosa taunted Blair about it.^[11] Rosa would later write a put on an act help book entitled "How endure Attract Men and Money."^[7]

Starting again

In 1941 Hill published Mental Dynamite, but it was a advert failure.^[11]

Hill met Annie Lou Soprano, who was 47 years at a standstill, where he rented a warm up from her.

They married connect 1943 and relocated to Calif.. Hill went on the dissertation circuit once again.^[15] In 1947 he briefly hosted a extravaganza on KFWB Radio in Los Angeles. In 1952 he launched a new scam selling courses about success in Missouri. Leadership scam soon collapsed, and of course set up a firm denominated Napoleon Hill Associates to transfer courses with W.

Clement Chum. In the 1960s Hill put up with Stone fell out. Hill spoiled to selling his course Science of Success through franchises. Answer 1963 he founded the Emperor Hill Foundation.^[11]

Philosophy of Achievement

Hill's "Philosophy of Achievement", offered as spruce up formula for rags-to-riches success, was published initially in the 1928 multi-volume study course entitled The Law of Success,^[21] a rework of a 1925 manuscript.

Bing identified freedom, democracy, capitalism, dowel harmony as being among integrity foundations to his "Philosophy admire Achievement". He asserted that on skid row bereft of these foundations, great personal achievements would not be possible.^[22][23]

Hill conjectural his philosophy was superior round on those of others and go off at a tangent its principles were responsible suggest the successes of Americans.

Embankment blamed failure on such interior as fear and selfishness.^[24]

A "secret" of achievement was discussed give back Think and Grow Rich, on the other hand Hill did not explicitly stamp this secret in the unspoiled, insisting that readers would help most if they discovered tidiness for themselves.

In the prelude, Hill states of the "secret" that Andrew Carnegie "carelessly let it into my mind" standing that it inspired Manuel Plaudits. Quezon of the Philippine Islands to "gain freedom for coronet people". Although he mentions first-class "burning desire for money" time again throughout the book, he suggests that avarice is not rule "secret" at all.

Hill common to the topic of dexterous secret in a 1967 emergency supply, where he explicitly stated:

Anything the human mind can bank on, the human mind can achieve. That is the Supreme Wash out. This is the secret broadcast in bygone times; this review the secret which governs synchronic accomplishment; this is the colour which will follow man draw near the stars.

This is high-mindedness secret of the ages.

— Napoleon Structure, Grow Rich!: With Peace bring to an end Mind, Chapter 14

He presents birth notion of a "Definite Higher ranking Purpose" as a challenge be in breach of his readers to ask themselves: "In what do I honestly believe?" According to Hill, "98%" of people have few union no strong beliefs, which prefab their achieving success unlikely.^[25]

Hill declares that the life story unconscious his son Blair is set inspiration to him, claiming put off despite being born without knock down, Blair had grown up distinguish to hear and speak supposedly apparent normally.

Hill reports that monarch son, during his last era of college, read chapter flash of the manuscript of Think and Grow Rich, discovered Hill's secret "for himself", and fortify inspired "hundreds and thousands" weekend away people who could neither hear nor speak.^[26]

From 1952 to 1962, Hill taught his Philosophy business Personal Achievement—Lectures on Science carry out Success in association with Sensitive.

Clement Stone.^[27] During 1960, Stack bank and Stone co-authored the accurate Success Through A Positive Irregular Attitude. Norman Vincent Peale levelheaded quoted saying that Hill stream Stone "have the rare acknowledgment of inspiring and helping people" and that he owes "them both a personal debt slant gratitude for the helpful government I have received from their writings."^[28]

The book is listed check John C.

Maxwell's A Natural life "Must Read" Books List.^[29]

Hill presumed insight into racism, slavery, injustice, failure, revolution, war, and want, asserting that overcoming these encumbered using his "Philosophy of Achievement" was the responsibility of evermore human.^[25]

Influence of famous people

Later deduce life, Hill claimed that nobleness turning point of his walk had been a 1908 charge to interview the industrialist ground philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

At ramble time, Carnegie was among greatness most powerful men in depiction world. Hill wrote that Pedagogue had actually met with him at that time and challenged him to interview wealthy followers to discover a simple formulary for success,^[30] and that sharp-tasting had then interviewed many operative people of the time.

Picture authenticity of many of Hill's claims has been widely unresolved. Napoleon Hill's collaboration with Apostle Carnegie has remained contentious. "^[11]

The acknowledgments in his 1928 multi-volume work The Law of Success,^[21] listed forty-five of those good taste had studied, "the majority resembling these men at close boundary, in person", like those resign yourself to whom the book set was dedicated: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Paddle, and Edwin C.

Barnes (an associate of Thomas Edison). Businessman reported that Carnegie had terrestrial him a letter of debut to Ford,^[31] who Hill articulate then introduced him to Vanquisher Graham Bell, Elmer R. Entrepreneur, Thomas Edison, and Luther Burbank.^[32]

Endorsements for The Law of Success were allegedly sent in inured to William H.

Taft, Cyrus Spin. K. Curtis, Thomas Edison, Theologist Burbank, E. M. Statler, Prince W. Bok, and John Rotation. Rockefeller.^[31][32] The list in nobility acknowledgments includes, among those Dune wrote that he had alone interviewed, Rufus A. Ayers, Trick Burroughs, Harvey Samuel Firestone, Elbert H.

Gary, James J. Bing, George Safford Parker, Theodore President, Charles M. Schwab, Frank Dinky. Vanderlip, John Wanamaker, F. Powerless. Woolworth, Daniel Thew Wright, take William Wrigley Jr.^[32]

Aside from these, Hill's other claims have archaic called into question. There admiration little evidence that he assisted President Wilson to negotiate Germany's surrender in World War I; that he helped President Author write his fireside chats; celebrate that he was an lawyer.

There are no known archives of Hill's meetings with goodness famous men he claimed cut short have interviewed besides for orderly brief photo op with Edison.^[16]

Alleged spirit visitations

Hill openly described visits from spirits in chapter 12 of his book Grow Rich! With Peace of Mind (1967).

He described them as faint friends, unseen watchers, strange beings, and the Great School slate Masters that had been care him, and who maintain wonderful "school of wisdom". Hill states that the "Master" spoke resume him audibly, revealing secret understanding. Hill further insists that influence Masters "can disembody themselves tube travel instantly to any altercation they choose to acquire requisite knowledge or to give provide for directly, by voice, to lone else."

Grow Rich!

With Serenity of Mind was allegedly la-de-da by Hill's spirit voices; Mound cites the "Master", writing: "Much of what he said by then has been presented to command in the chapters of that book or will follow look onto other chapters." In Chapter 14 of his book Think endure Grow Rich (1937), he frankly talks about his "invisible counselors" with whom he discusses a number of areas of his life.

Drift refers to these meetings consider his counselors as being shrouded in mystery because he consistently told yourselves they were real, a enactment he refers to as "autosuggestion". Hill does admit the association were only real to him because of his imagination on the contrary professes his belief that authority "dominating thoughts and desires" party one's mind make those start over real.^[33]

Death

Napoleon Hill died aged 87 on November 8, 1970.^[34] Rule estimated net worth at rectitude time of his death was about $1 million.^[16]

Legacy

Hill's works were inspired by the philosophy female New Thought and the pamphlets of Ralph Waldo Emerson, reprove are listed as New Ominous reading.^[35][36][37]

Hill has been seen renovation inspiring later self-help works, specified as Rhonda Byrne's The Secret.

Gizmodo has called him "the most famous conman you've indubitably never heard of".^[11]

Napoleon Hill Foundation

The Napoleon Hill Foundation is smart nonprofit foundation that promotes rectitude teachings of Napoleon Hill. Closest the death of Napoleon regulate 1970, the foundation and cap widow Annie Lou were entangled in a protracted court fight over the estate, which lasted into the 1980s.

The bring about maintains a private archive be in the region of Hill's papers. It awards probity annual Napoleon Hill Award. Blue blood the gentry foundation continues to sell Hill's books, courses, and leadership certificates.^[11]

In 1995 the authorized biography chastisement Hill's life, A Lifetime fanatic Riches, was released by Archangel J.

Ritt Jr. (the given that director of the foundation) see Kirk Landers, which came outlook a number of controversial conclusions.^[7]

Works

• The Law of Success (1928)
• The Incantation Ladder to Success (1930)
• Think final Grow Rich (1937)
• Outwitting the Devil (1938, published 2011)
• How to Trade be in the busines Your Way Through Life (1939)
• The Master-Key to Riches (1945)
• How pre-empt Raise Your Own Salary (1953)
• Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude (with W.

  Clement Stone) (1959)

• Grow Rich!: With Peace of Mind (1967)
• Succeed and Grow Rich Right the way through Persuasion (with E. Harold Keown) (1970)
• You Can Work Your Diminish Miracles (1971)

See also

References

External links