Andrew W. Mellon

About the Author

Andrew W. Mellon was a towering figure in American finance and politics, serving as Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932 under Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. Born in Pittsburgh in 1855, he built a vast industrial empire through investments in aluminum, oil, and banking, amassing one of the era's greatest fortunes. Mellon's economic philosophy championed low taxes and limited government intervention, ideas he eloquently explored in his seminal work, Taxation: The People's Business, which argued for a simplified tax system to foster prosperity and individual initiative. A philanthropist at heart, he founded the National Gallery of Art and supported numerous cultural institutions, leaving an indelible mark on America's artistic and economic landscape. His legacy endures as a proponent of fiscal conservatism amid the turbulent shifts of the early 20th century.