The Mellons

[Peter Lemkin]

I knew [slightly], and my parents knew very well, the black sheep of the family - who took his share of the money and did something GOOD with it and did not invest it, etc. His family, needless to say, distanced themselves from him. His name was Larry Mellon. He went to medical school and then moved to the remote jungle western part of Haiti and with his own money built and ran the Albert Schweitzer Hospital there. My parents worked there for a while. All of the medical staff that were not Haitian received NO salaries and lived primitively. All medical care and medicines were given for free - the people couldn't have paid. Their newsletter can be found on the internet. Larry and his wife Gwen were unique of the type of people who come from the upper-upper classes and truly altruistic humanitarians. None of the rest of the family, to my knowledge would contribute nor do any similar. Larry used-up most of his entire fortune and in the end depended in part on contributions. Proof that even some from these Oligarchical dynasties can turn-out good, rather than the 'usual' exploitation [legal and approved variety] via selfish and anti-Robin Hood corporate capitalism. One good melon that Larry Mellon!