Adoption, Fosterage & Homestead and The Hershey Family Trust Series are the first of their kind. For seven decades following the death of Milton S. Hershey there has been growing concern regarding whether the fiduciaries of the "Milton Hershey School and School Trust" are exploiting the Hershey Family Trust for personal gain. There have been investigations, but such investigations are by the same individuals or organizations that stand to benefit from allowing the fiduciaries to continue the status quo. There is also concern that the beneficiaries are not receiving the originally intended benefits and that their numbers and admissions criteria are being managed so as to facilitate continued exploitation of the Hershey Family Trust. Here, the question is not whether the cost per child is sufficiently high. It is easy to spend the wealth of the family and estate of Milton and Catherine Hershey. It easy to do it in ways that benefit Pennsylvania politicians and cronies. The value of the philanthropy of the Hersheys' Family & Estate should be based solely on the amount of good it does for each beneficiary in the context of such child's unique abilities, interests, and commitment (with the object of each child fully achieving his or her own, unique potential). This is to be measured one person at a time. Various scholars have made similar observations, but without substantive research explaining the full extent of this ongoing tragedy. At least one scholar has described the Pennsylvania Attorney General's investigation ending in 2013 as a "whitewash" and a bipartisan political scandal. The same scholar observes that the recent suicide of an expelled student raises a broad spectrum of competence issues. But there are other extraordinary scandals that should be investigated. For example, witness the scandals involving Jerry Sandusky, the football program at Pennsylvania State University, and The Second Mile (a non-profit charity) which served Pennsylvania underprivileged and at-risk youth, which included events in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Add to this the fact that $50,000,000 was improperly removed from the Hersheys' Family & Estate in 1963 and used to build for a medical center for Pennsylvania State University, a medical center that the Commonwealth could not have otherwise afforded at that time. Add to this the fact that the Milton Hershey School has had its own run of pedophile and other sex scandals. The issue here is not whether these are related. It is the shared fact that Pennsylvania officials are not protecting all of the Commonwealth's children. There is one simple truth at the heart of all of this relative to the Hershey Family Trust. The public does not fully understand that which the Hersheys had originally created. If the public did understand this, there would be far greater clarity regarding why complete reform of the fiduciaries of the "Milton Hershey School and School Trust" is long overdue. The object of The Hershey Family Trust Series is to help the public understand. Once the public understands, it should become easier and more expedient to demand the removal of the so called "fiduciaries", who should then be replaced with competent fiduciaries. Such public understanding must begin at the beginning. The public must first understand that which the Hersheys originally created. Adoption, Fosterage & Homestead explains that which the Hersheys created in the context of the Hersheys' Family & Estate.
About the Author: John F. Halbleib's education includes: Bachelors of Science in economics and business administration from Lebanon Valley College (Annville, Pennsylvania), Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Evanston, Illinois), MM (MBA) in finance and quantitative methods, and separately, a law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law (Chicago, Illinois). John founded and is the President and Chairman of Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness Research, Inc. (a 501(c)(3) not for profit), which is dedicated to the fulfillment of all Americans' promises to all other Americans. His first professional career was as a commercial banker in one of the then most highly regarded commercial banks. Through his practice of transactional (corporate) law he became a partner in several prestigious law firms, including a global, highly regarded law firm. His law clients were among the top 25 global investment banks and commercial banks. With the assistance of his team of other professionals, John conceived, designed, and generated participation in, managed and greatly expanded (on a global basis) a website which facilitated the sharing of intellectual property originated and owned by rating agencies, investment banks, commercial banks, other law firms and many other finance industry participants covering nearly every country in the world. Understanding the value of and championing capitalism have been central aspects of his professional life. John lost his father at a very young age and lived his childhood as a member of a large, poor, dependent, loving family. John was fortunate to have opportunities to overcome the initial life challenges associated with poverty. Philanthropy that was focused upon the achievement of John's full potential, followed by decades of excellent mentors, served to assist John in his achievement of many wonderful accomplishments. John has a wonderful family with spouse, children and grandchildren. He, like many others, is concerned about the future of his family, as well as the future of their posterity. John has authored Agreement among We, the People (Halbleib, January 1, 2015); Human Rights Capitalism (Halbleib, July 4, 2014); Milton S. Hershey - "His Deeds are His Monument, His Life is Our Inspiration" (Halbleib, 2004); and Hershey - Ideal Community for Orphans (AuthorHouse, 2005) John is an American citizen, seeking to be a "true American."