Shipwrecked, as it were, at the very outset of his life at the age of three, johnny obrien arrived with his fiveyearold brother, frankie, at the pennsylvania candy maker milton hershey s. The shores johnny obrien and milton hersheys school. Originally named the hershey industrial school, the institution was founded and funded by chocolate industrialist milton snavely hershey and his wife, catherine sweeney hershey. The result is the chocolate trust camino books, 256 pages. Johnny o brien, a 1961 graduate of the milton hershey school, was its. In fact, most of the charges mcclay makes about board governance in his editorial, i also highlight in my recent book called semisweet. See more ideas about milton hershey, hershey chocolate and hershey park. His early training in psychology and education lead to his creation of one of the first firms devoted to leadership development. The last few years at milton hershey school read like a harvard business school case study in. He spent his formative years from age 4 through 18 as a student at the school where he emerged as a leader of his class of 1961 in sports, academics, and student government. Johnny obrien had a remarkably tragic beginning and as a small child he was sent to the milton hershey school the legendary school for orphans, founded by milton hershey of hershey candy. Johnny obrien easton, maryland professional profile. Obrien returned to the milton hershey school as its president from 2002 to 2009.
Johnny obrien author johnny obrien is the former president of the milton hershey school in hershey, pa. Milton hersheys life was filled with invention and innovation. The milton hershey school is a private philanthropic prek through 12 boarding school in hershey, pennsylvania. In a shocking turn of events, he was then selected to become milton hershey school s eighth president and tasked with restoring the mission, morale, and characterbuilding culture of the home. Johnny obrien and milton hershey s school duration. View johnny obriens profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. In this book, he evaluates with an understanding and discerning mindset the strategic direction as well as the implementation of the schools. All of this he has captured in an extraordinary memoir titled, semisweet.
Semisweet an orphans journey through the school the hersheys built. Since then, more than 10,000 students from lower income families have had their lives transformed. A costly experiment ends by bob fernandez, inquirer staff writer, posted. Johnny obrien easton, maryland professional profile linkedin. Its long past time for the hershey trust board to clean up its act.
He spent his formative years from age 4 through 18 as a student at the school where he emerged as a leader of his class of 1961 in sports, academics, and student g. The average johnny o brien is around 54 years of age with around 43% falling in to the age group of 4160. Obrien also eventually led a rebellion with other alumni against the milton hershey school, after the president there started taking the school off its mission and turning it into more of a. Spartan hall of fame inductees milton hershey school alumni. He was a faithful member and deacon at solid rock missionary baptist church, serving as the young adult ministry director, church photographer. Johnny obrien 61 frank etchberger 50 brenda armstrong 86 john cook. For john obrien, princeton became a reality in the milking barn of the milton hershey school one evening in 1961, when two. If the maxim that luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparation is true, john johnny obrien has had more than his fair share of stars. He earned degrees in psychology and education at princeton and johns hopkins universities. Students experience stable home lives and are immersed in exceptional academic programs when they come to this free, coed boarding school in. As her doctoral program advisor at the university of minnesota, i have known lisa obrien for more than 20 years. Many thanks to john obrien the author of this book. Johnny o brien is the president emeritus of the milton hershey school, trustee emeritus of princeton university and the founder of renaissance leadership, inc.
Despite all odds, johnny thrived at the hershey school and went on to attend princeton university, where he currently serves as trustee emeritus. In 1947, 3yearold johnny obrien and 5year old frankie were enrolled in the hershey industrial school, an orphanage for boys in hershey, pa. John obrien is uniquely qualified to reflect upon and evaluate the milton hershey school experience, having enrolled as a student at age four and remaining a student until his graduation in 1961. In a riveting and haunting account, obrien tells a universal story about the vulnerability of needy children, describes the madness that consumed his beloved brother, explores the cruelty of bulliesboth young and old, exposes the corrupting influence of money, and shows how the milton hershey school continues its sacred mission of saving thousands of americas neediest children. Dear reader, i wrote semisweet to tell you and the whole world about the most remarkable school on earth. The school, founded in 1909 by chocolate magnate milton s. As a small child, johnny obrien was sent to the milton hershey school, the legendary school for orphans founded by milton hershey, founder of the hershey candy company. This book is more than johnny obrien s fascinating story of his journey from being an orphan entering the milton hershey school to becoming a successful businessman and head of that school. The uprising worked so well that it resulted in johnny o brien, to his own shock, becoming president of the hershey school in 2003.
Webster, 65 of harrisburg, passed suddenly on wednesday, january 15, 2020. In that time, i have been continually impressed by her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children, through her graduate studies and research in child development as part of the minnesota longitudinal study of high risk children and their families. Buy semisweet by johnny obrien from waterstones today. The milton hershey school is about to select a new president. John a obrien the milton hershey school is the richest and wealthiest k12 residential school in the world. The school provides free housing, education and health care to about 1,800 children. Milton and catherine hershey opened the school in 1909. We found 15 records in states for johnny o brien in the us. Milton hershey school board names former cumberland valley. In a riveting and haunting account, obrien tells a universal story about the vulnerability of needy children, describes the madness that consumed his beloved brother, explores the cruelty of bulliesboth young and old, exposes the corrupting influence of money, and shows how the milton hershey school continues its sacred mission of saving thousands of americas. Milton hershey school be your greatest self at mhs. Hershey gave his entire fortune to fund the school in perpetuity. The milton hershey school trust owns 30 percent of the hershey co.
In a riveting and haunting account, o brien tells a universal story about the vulnerability of needy children, describes the madness that consumed his beloved brother, explores the cruelty of bullies both young and old, exposes the corrupting influence of money, and shows how the milton hershey school continues its sacred mission of saving thousands of americas. John and his brother, frankie, had arrived at the hershey school the. In 1978, obrien founded renaissance leadership one of the. Alumni group seeks resignation of head of milton hershey. Beware of hershey alumni with selfserving agendas the recent opeds by hershey alumni johnny obrien and tom mcclay should sound alarm bells. The school was originally established for impoverished, healthy, male. As the former president of the milton hershey school, i am writing to validate. Lewis was the son of the late james and thelma webster and was born in philadelphia, pennsylvania. Johnny obrien, an orphan who lived at the school growing up, helped to lead the successful alumni protest. This book is more than johnny obriens fascinating story of his journey from being an orphan entering the milton hershey school to becoming a successful. Eventually, he learned the secret to massproducing milk chocolate and the recipe that gave it a longer, more stable shelf life. This book is more than johnny obriens fascinating story of his journey from being an orphan entering the milton hershey school to becoming a successful businessman and head of that school.
This book details over five thousand relations of milton hershey most of them from the central pennsylvania region. An eye opening expose of milton hersheys intentions, desires and legacy regarding the hershey school and the pivots that take place when money interests supercede the welfare of those whos interests are supposed to be primary. Johnny obrien is the former president of the milton hershey school in hershey, pa. Colistra, a 1959 graduate of milton hershey school, will succeed johnny obrien, who graduated from the school in 1961, to become president of the school. In a riveting and haunting account, johnny obrien tells a universal story about the vulnerability of needy children, describes the madness that consumed his beloved brother, explores the cruelty of bullies both young and old, exposes the corrupting influence of money, and shows how the milton hershey school continues its sacred mission of saving thousands of americas. The milton hershey school trust is run by the hershey trust co. Hersheys death mhss governance became inbred and late last century led it to stray from the founders mission. The milton hershey school is the richest and wealthiest k12 residential school in the world. In 1909, milton hershey, who had started a chocolate company and set. Johnny outlines how he returned the school to its original values and mission by both stressing character and bringing the school into the twentyfirst century, lessons that apply to schools. Leadership program features johnny obrien may 17 life. When he was a senior in the high school at the hershey school, and working on the farm there, obrien was milking cows one day when a princeton coach went to the dairy barn and asked if johnny. The shores johnny obrien and milton hersheys school september 3, 2014 by dave wheelan if the maxim that luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparation is true, long time eastern shore resident john johnny obrien has had more than his fair share of stars lining up in his favor. As the mhs began to change from being a refuge for extremely needy children to more of a middle class prep school.
Johnny obrien is the president emeritus of the milton hershey school, trustee emeritus of princeton university and the founder of renaissance leadership, inc. As a young man, he was not afraid to dream big and work hard. Its long past time for the hershey trust board to clean. It is midway through the book, just as johnny is to graduate from milton hershey school in 1961, that he learns the auto accident story was a ruse put upon the obrien brothers by the school and caring relatives. In the interest of full disclosure, i have known johnny obrien since college. Johnny obrien was inspired to write the novel after seeing some of his grandads war. Semisweet tells the singular life story of johnny obrien, an orphan who came to the hershey school under tragic circumstances and, after a life of academic, athletic, and professional success, returned there to triumphantly restore the schools reputation as. Museum of negro history and art, and ebony museum of negro history and art, 47 1947 n. Aug 27, 2015 pictures and other ideas to use with who was milton hershey.
Obrien resigned in mid2009 and was replaced by tony colistra, a. Milton hershey school president john obrien in founders hall the day before he announced his retirement. Obrien shares his story of life at hershey school at casa. Milton hershey school celebrates the success of its alumni through three unique award programs. Johnny outlines how he returned the school to its original values and mission by both stressing character and bringing the school into the twentyfirst century, lessons that apply to schools everywhere. Read semisweet an orphans journey through the school the hersheys built by johnny obrien available from rakuten kobo.
This video is approximately fourteen minutes in length. Hershey and his wife, catherine, is a private home and school serving children from prekindergarten to 12th grade who come from families in financial and social need. In a shocking turn of events, he was then selected to become milton hershey schools eighth president and tasked with restoring the mission, morale, and characterbuilding culture of the home. Download pdf milton hershey free online new books in. The top state of residence is california, followed by new york. The milton hershey school is the richest and wealthiest k12 residential s. An orphans journey through the school the hersheys built. Johnny outlines how he returned the school to its original values and mission by both stressing character and bringing the school into the twenty. The name has since been changed to milton hershey school, and now serves not only male orphans but both male and female children from underprivileged homes. Dec 02, 2014 mhs was created in 1909 by milton hershey, founder of the hershey company, as a school for the poor. Semisweet by johnny obrien overdrive rakuten overdrive. My weekend at milton hershey boarding school weeklyv duration. An orphans journey through the school the hersheys built paperback at.
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