Henry Huttleston Rogers grew up in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Menial jobs led to a career in the Pennsylvania oil fields and eventually to a share in the foundation, in 1874, of the Standard Oil Company. By 1890 he was the director of the company and one of the richest men in America. In 1893, with SLC’s publishing house and his investment in the Paige typesetter both threatening complete failure, a mutual acquaintance introduced Rogers to SLC. Rogers (with the aid of his secretary, Katherine I. Harrison) thereafter acted as SLC’s business agent, creating the plan that saw SLC out of his sizeable debts. Rogers performed many charitable works, including the funding, at SLC’s suggestion, of Helen Keller’s education. Despite the government commissions investigating monopolies and the forced reorganization of Standard Oil in 1890, Rogers left an estate valued at $50 million.