Stephen Girard

"A nation's wealth is measured by the education of its children."

"Patience is the virtue that separates the wise from the reckless."

"To build a fortune and leave it ungoverned is to build a curse."

"Commerce teaches us that mutual benefit is the highest principle."

"The poor man's gratitude is worth more than the rich man's gold."

"Courage is not the absence of fear—it is the mastery of it."

"A man's legacy is not measured in what he takes, but what he gives."

"The wise accumulate knowledge as the merchant accumulates goods."

"To treat your workers fairly is to invest in your own success."

"Faith without works is mere fantasy; works without faith is mere toil."

"The greatest wealth is a clear conscience."

"Time is the one commodity no merchant can buy back."

"A humble man with honor is greater than a proud man with gold."

"The ship of commerce must be steered by the compass of morality."

"To deny education to any is to deny our shared future."

"Strength without compassion is merely brutality in a fine coat."

"The most profitable enterprise is one that serves the greatest good."

"A man who cannot read is a prisoner of his circumstances."

"The foundation of all wealth is trust, and trust is built on truth."

"To pursue happiness is to miss it; to pursue purpose is to find both."

"The merchant who forgets the human cost of his trade forgets his humanity."

"Adversity is the school in which the strongest characters are formed."

"A wise man knows that his greatest investment is in people."

"The power of wealth is temporary; the power of character is eternal."

"To live well is not to accumulate much, but to appreciate what is."

"The educated man is free in ways the wealthy man can never be."

"Commerce is merely the language through which we serve one another."

"A nation that ignores the education of its poor condemns itself."

"The true test of wealth is not what you have, but what you do with it."

"Patience transforms obstacles into opportunities."