John McDonogh (1779-1850) was born in Baltimore but lived most of his adult life in New Orleans as a businessman, plantation owner, sometime-politician, and supporter of the American Colonization Society. His estate, which led to the creation of McDonogh School, was built through the use of slave labor. (Read about John McDonogh and Slavery in a 2021 essay written by Ane Lintvedt, a member of the Upper School History Department.)
McDonogh was known for his piety and frugality, financial and otherwise, derived from his Presbyterian beliefs. He was a hard worker, a bold leader, and a constant thinker, and his unrelenting devotion to work made him appear aloof to strangers and even close friends. These ideals and visions guided his action in his personal and business life, and in 1804, at the age of 24, he expressed his philosophy in his Rules For Guidance in My Life.
