By Renne Gardner
When I had nothing…except for student loan debt and an open heart and mind to discover what the world had in store for me, I would marvel at mansions and sprawling estates. I’d think, only half jokingly, “Who did they have to kill to afford a house like that?”
I own a few assets now, but the question still nags at me. If I have untold wealth, say, the billionaire kind, would there be bodies left in the road on my journey to the upper 1%? Sure, there are those who have taken the high road. But then I think about weapons of war, unsafe vehicles, carcinogens, medical insurance rejections, corporate leaders and media owners who color the truth, hide the truth or outright lie for their own political or financial gain. Certainly such lies have produced hatred, conflict and even wars that resulted in deaths.
The millions earned by William Randolph Hearst in the first part of the 20th century would be billions in today’s money. Billions that allowed him to build his castle. A castle and estate filled with great rooms, ornate pools and gardens, exotic animals and, much to my surprise, a lighted tennis court. Billions that allowed donations to the state and the naming of beaches and monuments.
I’ve come to the William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach to check out the views. And truly, every vista contains a Billion Dollar view! I can see the castle from the beach. The former front yard of Old San Simeon and the sheltered cargo port for the castle and local residents are also here. The pier, with new white-washed rails, provides an even better view of the beach.
Both the beach and the castle were donated to the county and the state by the Hearst Foundation. The Hearst Family Foundation still donates millions to non-profits each year. All well and very good. But I can’t help thinking about the harm caused by Yellow journalism. Sensationalist and even racist reporting. And, well, a lighted tennis court during a time of depression and scarcity.
Andrew Carnegie gave away the vast majority of his wealth during his lifetime to fund libraries, schools, scientific research and the arts. He was no saint either. But he reflected hard on his wealth and how best to use it. He wrote in his essay, The Gospel of Wealth, that it’s best to fund organizations that will lift up people and allow them to better themselves.
That is certainly the mandate of Hearst’s heirs and the Hearst Foundation. Donated in the 1950s, the William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach and Hearst Castle are true jewels of the State Park system. The foundation continues to financially assist worthwhile non-profits in the areas of education, health, culture and social services.
Hearst and his friends enjoyed magnificent, unspoiled views of the central California coast. I am thankful for the views, beauty and solitude at the memorial beach. Because of the Foundation’s largess, I other visitors can continue to enjoy the soothing and inspirational benefits of unspoiled central coast nature and unique California history in perpetuity.
