Address to the students of Brown University, quoted in Ida Tarbell (1904) The History of the Standard Oil Company
“
The American Beauty Rose can be produced in the splendor and fragrance which bring cheer to its beholder only by sacrificing the early buds which grow up around it. This is not an evil tendency in business. It is merely the working-out of a law of nature and a law of God.
— John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The American Beauty Rose can be produced in the splendor and fragrance which bring cheer to its beholder only by sacrificing the early buds which grow up around it. This is not an evil tendency in business. It is merely the working-out of a law of nature and a law of God." in the context of "Address to the students of Brown University, quoted in Ida Tarbell (1904) The History of the Standard Oil Company" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "John D. Rockefeller, Jr." (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American businessman and philanthropist, the son and heir of John D. Rockefeller and the first president of the Rockefeller Foundation.
About John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American businessman and philanthropist, the son and heir of John D. Rockefeller and the first president of the Rockefeller Foundation.
View all quotes →