The Deed of Trust
On November 15, 1909, Milton and Catherine Hershey signed the Deed of Trust. This established what was then known as the Hershey Industrial School. The Deed of Trust covered how each student was to be cared for:
All orphans admitted to the School shall be fed with plain, wholesome food; plainly, neatly, and comfortably clothed, without distinctive dress, and fitly lodged. Due regard shall be paid to their health; their physical training shall be attended to, and they shall have suitable and proper exercise and recreation.
Life at the Homestead
The first students enrolled in September 1910. Milton Hershey’s childhood home, affectionately called the Homestead, became both their home and school.
Superintendent George Copenhaver and his wife, Prudence, college-educated teachers, created both the academic and living environment for the boys.
As the school grew, Milton Hershey continued to purchase more farms in the area for the students to live. His first purchase, Kinderhaus, was built by Milton’s great-grandfather in 1817. It became a student home for the school’s youngest students from 1912 to 1996.
Remembering the happy hours he had spent growing up in the country, Milton Hershey felt it important that the students learned about agriculture, horticulture, and gardening.
The school employed a learning-by-doing model where students could learn practical skills that would help them after leaving school.
The New York Times, 1923“We are teaching the boys agriculture, horticulture, dairying, blacksmith work, the rudiments of electrical work, carpentry and such things. We do not plan to turn them out finished artisans, but to provide a foundation on which they may build.”
In the 1920s, enrollment grew to more than 100 students.
New buildings were erected. The first new student homes built were called cottage homes, large brick buildings with a gymnasium in the basement.
The Creation of a Legacy
Catherine Hershey passed away on March 25, 1915. Soon after in 1918, Milton Hershey placed his entire fortune in a perpetual trust for the school. News about the gift did not become public until 1923.
In an article in Fortune magazine in 1924, Milton Hershey explained why he gave his money away:
“I never could see what happiness a rich man gets from contemplating a life of acquisition only, with the cold and legal distribution of his money after he is gone. For myself, would I find any further zest in accumulating wealth? No, but now I am more interested than ever in maintaining and improving the morale and efficiency of all my companies. I want to devote the rest of my life to that end, for the school.”
Current Opinion, 1924“I have no heirs—that is, no children. So I decided to make the orphan boys of the United States my heirs.”
Why This Matters
The decisions made more than a century ago still shape lives today. Milton and Catherine Hershey believed that every child deserved the opportunity to become who they were meant to be. Their legacy is a school where potential meets opportunity.
Milton Hershey School
Milton Hershey School continues the Hersheys’ vision by providing an education for life to help students build the knowledge, confidence, and skills for what comes next. Today, more than 2,200 students in pre-K through 12th grade live and learn on campus in Hershey, PA—with all costs covered.
Timeline of Milton Hershey School
1909
Milton and Catherine Hershey signed the Deed of Trust, founding the Hershey Industrial School. It began as a dream to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds get ahead in life through an exceptional educational experience.
1910
The school admitted its first boys, and the Hershey Industrial School officially opened at the Hershey Homestead. Today, MHS cares for more than 2,200 students from across the country. The student body contains an equal number of boys and girls.
1918
Milton Hershey placed his stock holdings of 500,000 shares of the Hershey Chocolate Company, valued at $60 million, in a trust to benefit the school.
1923
News of Milton Hershey’s generous gift broke in the Harrisburg Evening News on November 8, 1923, and The New York Times published the next day. The Times followed up with a full-page spread on November 18.
Today
Over 100 years after the world found out about the sweet gift that changes lives, MHS is thriving as one of the world’s best private schools.
Trivia About Milton Hershey School
1. What was Milton Hershey School originally named?
Correct! Not quite — A is correct!
2. Who was eligible to attend the school when it first opened in 1909?
Correct! Not quite — C is correct!
3. How many students were in the first class at the school when it opened?
Correct! Not quite — B is correct!
4. Where did the first students live and have classes?
Correct! Not quite — C is correct!
5. What year did the school change the Deed of Trust to allow girls?
Correct! Not quite — B is correct!
