Autobiography/Christian Living

Fuller

Beyon

d the A

merican

Dream

A millionaire at twenty-nine years of age, Millard Fullerwas chasing a rabbit that most of us love to chase. Hecaught it, realized it wasn’t real, and chose to givehimself to what is real. He actually believed that if hesought God’s kingdom and his righteousness first, thenother things would take care of themselves!

—Tony Campolo

Millard Fuller was the author of eleven books and awarded more than a dozen honorarydoctorate degrees. He was a millionaire before age thirty and gave away his entire fortunebefore he was forty. He was a lawyer, a friend to presidents and world leaders, and an advocatefor the poor. He was a husband, father, and grandfather. He was a tall, skinny kid with bigears from Lanett, Alabama. He was founder of Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Centerfor Housing, both movements organized to eliminate substandard housing worldwide.Because of his unfailing vision and tenacity, Millard was responsible for sheltering more thana million people who had been living in poverty.

When Millard left business at age thirty and turned his life in a new direction, he beganwriting an autobiography. He kept a journal in his desk and wrote in detail about his businessand law ventures. In 1968, Millard finished the story of his journey from pauper to million-aire to home builder. In 1970, a publisher offered to consider the book “at a later time,” andthe manuscript was packed away. His wife, Linda, occasionally would ask him about getting itpublished, but Millard would reply, “Not now. I’m too busy.”

This is that story.

Millard Fuller was the founder and president of Habitat forHumanity for 29 years prior to founding The Fuller Center forHousing in 2005. Fuller’s business expertise and entrepreneurialdrive made him a millionaire by age 29. Then, after a re-dedicationof his life to family and to following God’s path, Fuller and his wife,Linda, decided to sell their possessions and give their money to thepoor. Following mission work in Africa, the Fullers founded Habitatfor Humanity in Americus, Georgia, in 1976. Beyond the AmericanDream is the first of eleven books that Fuller wrote during his life-time. He received numerous awards, including the PresidentialMedal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian award, and more than

fifty honorary doctorate degrees for his outstanding leadership toward meeting the goal ofeliminating poverty housing worldwide.

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Chapter 1

A Million Dollars

“Congratulations.”“For what?”“You’re a millionaire! Here’s the financial statement. See for

yourself.”Marilyn Black, secretary-treasurer of our company, was excitedly

telling me that I had made it.“We’ve just completed statements for the company and for you

personally, and you’re worth a million dollars! Isn’t that wonderful?”It was early fall in 1964. Hot outside, but not inside. We were

cool. Sitting in a plush, cushioned chair on thick carpets, in an air-conditioned paneled office with a huge oak desk sprawled out in frontof me, indeed, I thought it was wonderful!

A millionaire before the age of thirty. Co-owner of a prosperous,dynamic publishing and direct mail business in Montgomery,Alabama. No serious problems in business. Everything going my way.A financial statement showing my worth at a million dollars. Whowouldn’t agree that such a state of affairs was wonderful? Every youngman in the state of Alabama—in the whole nation, for that matter—would envy me if he knew.

Marilyn stood there for a moment, beaming. She was happybecause I was happy. She was that way.

Miss Marilyn Black walked into my office for the first time inNovember 1962. Our business and law offices were then located neardowntown Montgomery in an old house that we had converted intoan office building. We had only ten employees. Marilyn had inter-viewed for the job of typist and receptionist.

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When I first met Marilyn, she was not exuberant. She was quietand correct in her manners. I remember that she was very young andhad long black hair. I asked a lot of questions that first day. Sheanswered everything with pleasant seriousness. Among other things,she gave the names of several references. After the interview, she left toreturn to her place of employment at the time.

I thought about the interview for a few minutes and decided tohire her without making any reference checks. I waited long enoughfor her to return to her office, then picked up the phone and dialed. Itold her she was hired. That was that.

Marilyn Black started to work for Fuller & Dees Company andDees and Fuller Attorneys-at-Law the next week.

My assessment of her was not wrong. If anything, I underesti-mated her ability. She tore through work. A fast typist, accurate,serious about her work, diligent, and efficient in every way, shequickly learned her way around the company, which was growing andfast becoming the most important phase of our activities.

When we had to replace our office manager in early 1963,Marilyn was offered the job. She cried that day in my office. She wasafraid of the responsibility of supervising an office force that had bythen grown to more than twenty people.

My business partner, Morris Dees, came in to help me plead withMarilyn to take the promotion. She finally accepted and immediatelymoved into her new job with renewed vigor. She cried some more inthe weeks ahead, but she learned quickly and soon was doing a greatjob.

On this particular day, her appearance had not changed, but shehad matured a lot, learned a lot, and climbed to the top in our young,rapidly expanding company. She was the youngest corporation officerin the city and one of the best. Marilyn was secretary-treasurer of ourvarious corporations and dealt with all phases of her responsibilities asif she owned the entire operation. She had come a long way since herfirst visit to our office in 1962. So had the company. And so had I.

Marilyn was happy because I had a million-dollar financial state-ment, and I was happy about that, too.

4 BEYOND THE AMERICAN DREAM

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Autobiography/Christian Living

Fuller

Beyon

d the A

merican

Dream

A millionaire at twenty-nine years of age, Millard Fullerwas chasing a rabbit that most of us love to chase. Hecaught it, realized it wasn’t real, and chose to givehimself to what is real. He actually believed that if hesought God’s kingdom and his righteousness first, thenother things would take care of themselves!

—Tony Campolo

Millard Fuller was the author of eleven books and awarded more than a dozen honorarydoctorate degrees. He was a millionaire before age thirty and gave away his entire fortunebefore he was forty. He was a lawyer, a friend to presidents and world leaders, and an advocatefor the poor. He was a husband, father, and grandfather. He was a tall, skinny kid with bigears from Lanett, Alabama. He was founder of Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Centerfor Housing, both movements organized to eliminate substandard housing worldwide.Because of his unfailing vision and tenacity, Millard was responsible for sheltering more thana million people who had been living in poverty.

When Millard left business at age thirty and turned his life in a new direction, he beganwriting an autobiography. He kept a journal in his desk and wrote in detail about his businessand law ventures. In 1968, Millard finished the story of his journey from pauper to million-aire to home builder. In 1970, a publisher offered to consider the book “at a later time,” andthe manuscript was packed away. His wife, Linda, occasionally would ask him about getting itpublished, but Millard would reply, “Not now. I’m too busy.”

This is that story.

Millard Fuller was the founder and president of Habitat forHumanity for 29 years prior to founding The Fuller Center forHousing in 2005. Fuller’s business expertise and entrepreneurialdrive made him a millionaire by age 29. Then, after a re-dedicationof his life to family and to following God’s path, Fuller and his wife,Linda, decided to sell their possessions and give their money to thepoor. Following mission work in Africa, the Fullers founded Habitatfor Humanity in Americus, Georgia, in 1976. Beyond the AmericanDream is the first of eleven books that Fuller wrote during his life-time. He received numerous awards, including the PresidentialMedal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian award, and more than

fifty honorary doctorate degrees for his outstanding leadership toward meeting the goal ofeliminating poverty housing worldwide.