William Volker was born in Hanover , Germany , in 1859 , and his family immigrated to the United States in 1871 and settled in Chicago in October after the Great Fire destroyed portions of the city . According to his official biography , Volker " saw the operations of a vast spontaneous system of relief supported by charitable persons from every section of the world " ( 23 ) . According to family tradition , the event convinced Volker of the power of private charity . As a young man , Volker moved to Kansas City , Missouri , where he started a home furnishings business , the William Volker & Co. , which sold picture frames , blinds , and other home furnishings . As his fortune increased in the early 1900s , he secretly started giving most of it away
Great Fire
Great Chicago Fire
William Volker Fund