Napoleon hill biography and family

American author

For the Memphis businessperson, see Napoleon Hill (Memphis businessman). For the Lithuanian landmark, depiction Napoleon's Hill. For the dune 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, Southernmost 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 essayist.

He is best known promote his book Think and Flourish Rich (1937), which is amongst the best-selling self-help books observe all time.^[1][2] Hill's works insisted that fervid expectations are requisite to improving one's life.^[3][4] Bossy of his books are promoted as expounding principles to work out "success".

Hill is a dubitable figure. Accused of fraud, fresh historians also doubt many be in the region of his claims, such as stray he met Andrew Carnegie take that he was an advocate.

Life and career

Childhood

Hill was autochthonous in a one-room cabin encounter the Appalachian town of Knock in southwest Virginia.^[5] His parents were James Monroe Hill obtain Sarah Sylvania (Blair), and noteworthy was the grandson of Crook Madison Hill and Elizabeth (Jones).

His grandfather came to probity United States from England stake settled in southwestern Virginia layer 1847.^[6] His father was splendid dentist, at first unofficially near then with a license.^[7]

Hill's surround died when he was niner years old, and his sire remarried two years later tell off Martha.

According to Landers status Ritt his stepmother was first-class good influence for him: "Hill's stepmother, the widow of unadulterated school principal, civilized the wild-child, Napoleon, making him go tip school and attend church."^[7] Associate with the age of 13, Comedian began writing as a "mountain reporter", initially for his father's newspaper.^[8] At the age infer fifteen, he married a provincial girl who had accused him of fathering her child; depiction girl later recanted the tolerate, and the marriage was annulled.^[9]

Early career

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

Direct 1901, Hill accepted a club working for the lawyer Rufus A. Ayers, a coal industrialist and former Virginia attorney popular. Author Richard Lingeman wrote ramble Hill received this job tail arranging to keep confidential greatness death of a black summon forth whom the previous manager delineate the mine had accidentally bullet while drunk.^[7]

Hill left his humate mine management job soon afterwards and enrolled in law grammar before withdrawing owing to smashing lack of funds.

Later love life, Hill would use leadership title of "Attorney of Law", although Hill's official biography take the minutes that "there is no transcribe of his having actually do legal services for anyone."^[10]

In 1903, Hill married for the subordinate time to Edith Whitman; regulate 1905 their child Edith Missionary Hill was born.

Their wedlock was a fraught one payable to Hill's alleged abuse presentation his wife and daughter pry open addition to his infidelity.^[11]

Failed skill ventures and charges of fraud

Hill relocated to Mobile, Alabama, need 1907 and co-founded the Acree-Hill Lumber Company. In October 1908, the Pensacola Journal reported lapse the company was facing boob proceedings and charges of despatch fraud for purchasing lumber evade outside Mobile, from other counties in Alabama and Florida, keep from selling it below cost, thereby failing to generate a return.^[12]

His wife Edith filed for part company in 1908; at the events Hill's friends and business partners testified to his affairs market prostitutes.

It is sometime diffuse 1908 that Hill claims rulership pivotal conversation with Andrew Industrialist happened; however, the existence outline such a meeting is dialect trig point of contention amongst Structure biographers.^[11]

Following the exposure of realm fraud in Alabama, Hill composed to Washington, DC, where proceed dropped Oliver as his good cheer name and began going wishy-washy Napoleon Hill.

In 1909 prohibited founded the Automobile College delineate Washington. The college assembled cars for the Carter Motor Association, which declared bankruptcy in awkward 1912; students were not engender a feeling of for their labor.^[11] During Apr 1912, the automobile magazine Motor World accused Hill's college go being a scam and derided its marketing materials as "a joke to anyone of sample intelligence".^[13] Following the bankruptcy nominate the Carter Motor Corporation, Elevation pivoted the organization to seminar people how to sell cars rather than make them.

Course group were incentivized to themselves trade be in the busines Automobile College of Washington courses on which they would give a commission. In practice, nobleness focus was on signing string up more students, not in revision how to sell cars. Detain this form, it resembled precise modern multi-level marketing company.^[11]

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

In spite of investment from her family, nobleness Automobile College of Washington done in 1912. He subsequently laid hold of to Chicago and accepted practised job with the La Salle Extension University, before co-founding goodness Betsy Ross Candy Shop. Businessman was soon forced out illustrate the candy shop by sovereignty partners and had left Intend Salle within a year befit starting.^[11]

In September 1915, he mighty the George Washington Institute entrap Advertising, where he intended criticize teach principles of success limit self-confidence.

On June 4, 1918, the Chicago Tribune reported go wool-gathering the state of Illinois locked away issued two warrants for coronate arrest, charging him with infringing blue sky laws by fraudulently attempting to sell shares characteristic his school at a $100,000 capitalization, despite the school's unshakable assets appraised only at $1,200.^[17]

In 1917, Hill threatened the Algonquin Central Railroad with a causa due to low lighting be thankful for their cars allegedly making him need glasses.

The George General Institute was unaccredited and over in 1918 following allegations goods fraud made by students. Lasting this time, Florence and their children were living with unlimited family in West Virginia.^[11]

Following character closure of the George Educator Institute, Hill embarked on another business ventures, among them dignity personal magazines Hill's Golden Rule and Napoleon Hill's Magazine.^[18] Conduct yourself 1919 the Federal Trade Credential brought charges against Hill title Hill's Golden Rule for forged advertising and laundering funds intended for a veteran's charity smash into a fraudulent oil stock surround.

Hill claimed that it was in 1918 following the humiliation of GWI that Woodrow Physicist personally reached out to Pile for his help winning righteousness First World War; Hill assumed that Wilson offered him ample sums for his aid however that he did not take on any payment for his travail because he was a 1 He claimed that he was so important and involved reliably the war effort that noteworthy had the power to reject the President.

Hill claimed appoint have participated intimately in position negotiation of the armistice reach an agreement Germany. These claims are throng together believed to be true.^[11]White Dynasty records include no reference show his ever being there.^[19]

In 1922, he opened the Intra-Wall Proportion School, a charitable foundation gateway to provide educational materials make it to prisoners in Ohio.

The establish was directed by, among residue, check forger and former crticize Butler Storke, who would just sent back to prison single a year later. According perfect Hill's official biography, it was during this period that music of documents proving Hill's class with various famous figures were destroyed in a Chicago memory fire.^[18] Intra-Wall Correspondence School mainly sold Hill's Golden Rule focus on correspondence courses.

In 1923 tingle was exposed by local newspapers as a scam. Following greatness murder of Donald Mellett, recognized promoted a lecture tour supported on their acquaintance, with Bing claiming to have been grandeur target of the same assassins.^[11]

Hill lost control over Hill's Halcyon Rule to a group exert a pull on disgruntled employees.

Hill attempted thoroughly get revenge against one incessantly the employees by reporting them to the FBI as put in order spy.^[7]

Hill founded the Peptomists cope with the Co-Operative Club which advertised themselves as business organizations wonderful the style of the rotatory club.^[7]

The Law of Success

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

Integrity book was Hill's first chief success, allowing Hill to on an opulent lifestyle. By 1929, he had already bought spruce up Rolls-Royce and a 600-acre (240-hectare) property in the Catskill Mountains,^[7] with the aid of trying lenders.^[20]

The beginning of the Just in case Depression, however, affected Hill's cost adversely, forcing his Catskills belongings into foreclosure before the donation of 1929.^[15] He went poverty-stricke, forcing his wife's family exchange pay for the expenses believe Florence and her children.

Hill's next published work, The Black art Ladder to Success (1930), telling to be a commercial dereliction. During the next few adulthood, Hill traveled through the state, returning to his habits munch through the prior decade of instigating various short-lived business ventures. Filth was involved in the arrange of the first Mormon peel Corianton: A Story of Iniquitous Love, which collapsed after investors accused Hill of malfeasance.

Mound claimed to have been fleece advisor to Franklin D. Fdr during this time. He presumed to have coined the President's famous phrase "The only pleasing we have to fear remains fear itself."

Think and Enlarge Rich

In 1937, Hill published influence bestselling book Think and Bring into being Rich, which became Hill's best-known work.

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

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

Napoleon and Rosa become involved with The Kingly Fraternity of the Master Metaphysicians, a cult led by Criminal Bernard Schafer, which regarded Think and Grow Rich as well-ordered religious text. Napoleon became primacy godfather of "Baby Jene", great child the cult had adoptive and claimed to be breeding in such a way lose one\'s train of thought she would be immortal.

Refurbish 1941 the child was requited to her biological mother. Aft being arrested and convicted oppress 1942, Schafer claimed that Emperor had been to blame.^[11]

The fuse divorced around 1940. With unnecessary of the wealth from rectitude book going to Rosa, Cards returned to his pursuit unredeemed success.^[15] Rosa proceeded to wed her divorce lawyer.

Mary crow dog biography template

Heap and Rosa never repaid Statesman for the $300 loan; doubtlessly, Rosa taunted Blair about it.^[11] Rosa would later write clean self help book entitled "How to Attract Men and Money."^[7]

Starting again

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

Hill met Annie Lou Norman, who was 47 length of existence old, where he rented boss room from her.

They marital in 1943 and relocated hinder California. Hill went on influence lecture circuit once again.^[15] Remit 1947 he briefly hosted practised show on KFWB Radio pretend Los Angeles. In 1952 forbidden launched a new scam commerce courses about success in Chiwere. The scam soon collapsed, be first he set up a consolidate called Napoleon Hill Associates almost sell courses with W.

Agreeable Stone. In the 1960s Comic and Stone fell out. Mound turned to selling his complete Science of Success through franchises. In 1963 he founded rectitude Napoleon Hill Foundation.^[11]

Philosophy of Achievement

Hill's "Philosophy of Achievement", offered by the same token a formula for rags-to-riches come after, was published initially in rectitude 1928 multi-volume study course advantaged The Law of Success,^[21] swell rewrite of a 1925 copy.

Hill identified freedom, democracy, free enterprise, and harmony as being amongst the foundations to his "Philosophy of Achievement". He asserted lapse without these foundations, great in person achievements would not be possible.^[22][23]

Hill claimed his philosophy was preferred to those of others tolerate that its principles were dependable for the successes of Americans.

Hill blamed failure on much emotions as fear and selfishness.^[24]

A "secret" of achievement was liegeman in Think and Grow Rich, but Hill did not overtly identify this secret in dignity book, insisting that readers would benefit most if they unconcealed it for themselves.

In depiction introduction, Hill states of honourableness "secret" that Andrew Carnegie "carelessly tossed it into my mind" and that it inspired Manuel L.

Quezon of the Filipino Islands to "gain freedom be glad about his people". Although he mentions a "burning desire for money" repeatedly throughout the book, sharptasting suggests that avarice is shout his "secret" at all.

Hill returned to the topic see a secret in a 1967 book, where he explicitly stated:

Anything the human mind glare at believe, the human mind stare at achieve. That is the Incomparable Secret....

This is the go red known in bygone times; that is the secret which governs present-day accomplishment; this is rank secret which will follow human race to the stars. This run through the secret of the ages.

— Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich!: With Composure of Mind, Chapter 14

He bonuses the notion of a "Definite Major Purpose" as a contest to his readers to pull themselves: "In what do Unrestrainable truly believe?" According to Embankment, "98%" of people have not many or no strong beliefs, which made their achieving success unlikely.^[25]

Hill declares that the life appear of his son Blair survey an inspiration to him, claiming that despite being born out ears, Blair had grown convalesce able to hear and say almost normally.

Hill reports stray his son, during his determined year of college, read episode two of the manuscript chuck out Think and Grow Rich, disclosed Hill's secret "for himself", courier then inspired "hundreds and thousands" of people who could neither listen nor speak.^[26]

From 1952 succeed 1962, Hill taught his Philosophy of Personal Achievement—Lectures on Discipline of Success in association do faster W.

Clement Stone.^[27] During 1960, Hill and Stone co-authored high-mindedness book Success Through A Poised Mental Attitude. Norman Vincent Peale is quoted saying that Pile and Stone "have the uncommon gift of inspiring and wedge people" and that he owes "them both a personal obligation of gratitude for the worthwhile guidance I have received depart from their writings."^[28]

The book is traded in John C.

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

Hill claimed insight into racism, servitude, oppression, failure, revolution, war, spell poverty, asserting that overcoming these difficulties using his "Philosophy have a hold over Achievement" was the responsibility holiday every human.^[25]

Influence of famous people

Later in life, Hill claimed turn the turning point of tiara life had been a 1908 assignment to interview the big noise and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Efficient that time, Carnegie was between the most powerful men charge the world. Hill wrote deviate Carnegie had actually met have a crush on him at that time current challenged him to interview well off people to discover a genial formula for success,^[30] and divagate he had then interviewed haunt successful people of the offend.

The authenticity of many perceive Hill's claims has been wide disputed. Napoleon Hill's collaboration get Andrew Carnegie has remained disputative. "^[11]

The acknowledgments in his 1928 multi-volume work The Law outline Success,^[21] listed forty-five of those he had studied, "the bulk of these men at expose range, in person", like those to whom the book recessed was dedicated: Andrew Carnegie, Rhetorician Ford, and Edwin C.

Barnes (an associate of Thomas Edison). Hill reported that Carnegie difficult to understand given him a letter atlas introduction to Ford,^[31] who Construction said then introduced him nip in the bud Alexander Graham Bell, Elmer Regard. Gates, Thomas Edison, and Theologian Burbank.^[32]

Endorsements for The Law work at Success were allegedly sent handset by William H.

Taft, Prince H. K. Curtis, Thomas Discoverer, Luther Burbank, E. M. Statler, Edward W. Bok, and Toilet D. Rockefeller.^[31][32] The list subtract the acknowledgments includes, among those Hill wrote that he esoteric personally interviewed, Rufus A. Ayers, John Burroughs, Harvey Samuel Firestone, Elbert H.

Gary, James Detail. Hill, George Safford Parker, Theodore Roosevelt, Charles M. Schwab, Naked A. Vanderlip, John Wanamaker, Czar. W. Woolworth, Daniel Thew Inventor, and William Wrigley Jr.^[32]

Aside steer clear of these, Hill's other claims have to one`s name been called into question. More is little evidence that proscribed aided President Wilson to dicker Germany's surrender in World Combat I; that he helped Kingpin Roosevelt write his fireside chats; or that he was scheme attorney.

There are no mask records of Hill's meetings clatter the famous men he hypothetical to have interviewed besides promulgate a brief photo op take up again Edison.^[16]

Alleged spirit visitations

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

He described them whilst unseen friends, unseen watchers, dark beings, and the Great Kindergarten of Masters that had back number guarding him, and who keep going a "school of wisdom". Dune states that the "Master" beam to him audibly, revealing clandestine knowledge. Hill further insists delay the Masters "can disembody and travel instantly to concert party place they choose to boost essential knowledge or to bear knowledge directly, by voice, anticipate anyone else."

Grow Rich!

Bump into Peace of Mind was professedly influenced by Hill's spirit voices; Hill cites the "Master", writing: "Much of what he aforementioned already has been presented make longer you in the chapters publicize this book or will evidence in other chapters." In Point in time 14 of his book Think and Grow Rich (1937), significant openly talks about his "invisible counselors" with whom he discusses various areas of his bluff.

Hill refers to these meetings with his counselors as sheet real because he consistently bass himself they were real, well-organized principle he refers to laugh "autosuggestion". Hill does admit nobility talks were only real reverse him because of his inspiration but professes his belief wander the "dominating thoughts and desires" of one's mind make those thoughts real.^[33]

Death

Napoleon Hill died very great 87 on November 8, 1970.^[34] His estimated net worth throw in the towel the time of his inattentive was about $1 million.^[16]

Legacy

Hill's expression were inspired by the outlook of New Thought and influence writings of Ralph Waldo Author, and are listed as New-found Thought reading.^[35][36][37]

Hill has been denotative of as inspiring later self-help entireness, such as Rhonda Byrne's The Secret.

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

Napoleon Heap Foundation

The Napoleon Hill Foundation task a nonprofit foundation that promotes the teachings of Napoleon Bing. Following the death of Cards in 1970, the foundation added his widow Annie Lou were embroiled in a protracted have a crack battle over the estate, which lasted into the 1980s.

Description foundation maintains a private enter of Hill's papers. It laurels the annual Napoleon Hill Furnish. The foundation continues to exchange Hill's books, courses, and greater number certificates.^[11]

In 1995 the authorized chronicle of Hill's life, A Natural life of Riches, was released moisten Michael J.

Ritt Jr. (the executive director of the foundation) and Kirk Landers, which came to a number of dubious conclusions.^[7]

Works

• The Law of Success (1928)
• The Magic Ladder to Success (1930)
• Think and Grow Rich (1937)
• Outwitting goodness Devil (1938, published 2011)
• How bolster Sell Your Way Through Life (1939)
• The Master-Key to Riches (1945)
• How to Raise Your Own Salary (1953)
• Success Through a Positive Intellectual Attitude (with W.

  Clement Stone) (1959)

• Grow Rich!: With Peace do in advance Mind (1967)
• Succeed and Grow Affluent Through Persuasion (with E. Harold Keown) (1970)
• You Can Work Your Own Miracles (1971)

See also

References

External links