Napoleon Hill

In 1910, Hill married Florence Elizabeth Hornor. They had three sons: James, Napoleon Blair, and David. The ups and downs of his career had him move from place to place, leaving his family behind. In 1935, his marriage to Hornor was terminated.

Two years later, he met 29-year-old Rosa Lee Beeland in Atlanta whom he married. She helped him complete “Think and Grow Rich!”. A widening gulf between Rosa and Hill ended in divorce. He was bankrupt after a prenuptial agreement gave Rosa virtually all royalties for “Think and Grow Rich!”.

He became friends with Annie Lou Norman. She was working for Jacobs Press, and both were staying in the same building. They married in 1943, and moved to California where he took up lecturing.

Napoleon Hill was born Oliver Napoleon Hill on October 26, 1883. When he was ten years old, his mother passed away.

His father re-married, and his step-mother Martha encouraged him to give up his six-shooter for a type writing machine, and inspired him to write. At fifteen, he began working as a freelance reporter.

Hill entered law school, but withdrew for financial reasons. He landed a job with Bob Taylor’s Magazine that offered advice on achieving power and wealth. He interviewed Andrew Carnegie in 1908, a steel magnate.

Carnegie challenged Hill to interview the wealthiest and most successful men of the time, and compile the philosophy of achievement behind their success, which he believed was the same for all achievers.

Carnegie offered to introduce him to the most successful men of the time. Hill jumped at the opportunity, and the next two decades saw him work on this mission without compensation.

Hill interviewed the most famous people of the time, including Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Eastman, Henry Ford, Elmer Gates, John D. Rockefeller, Charles M. Schwab, F.W. Woolworth, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

In 1912, he left for Chicago. He worked in various fields. When World War I began, he wrote to President Woodrow Wilson offering his services. Wilson put him to work on propaganda materials.

Hill completed his eight-volume “Law of Success” in 1928, published by Andrew Pelton. The collective wisdom of the greatest achievers of the early twentieth century was available in it. His work became a sensation.

In 1937, his then wife Rosa helped him complete the book “Think and Grow Rich!”. Published by Andrew Pelton, it became the greatest self-improvement book. Divorce gave Rosa all the royalties for the book.