The history of America's economic growth is intimately tied to the events that marked the lives of many great men. They made America the richest and strongest nation in the world. Their urgent desire to expand the railroads, build the bridges, and drill for the needed petroleum created new industries and millions of jobs. The fortunes that they accumulated were distributed among their heirs and in many cases were willed to foundations that remain today for worthy and philanthropic purposes. The leadership and dynamism of these men should be an inspiration to every American. Their achievements were unique to the American way of life and remain so today. The fires which burned in the minds and hearts of these heroes, their quest for money, power and status did not die with them. It lives on in the new generation that has followed.