Samuel Calvin Tate Dodd
Encyclopedia
Samuel Calvin Tate Dodd (1836–1907) was an American
lawyer
notable for his work for John D. Rockefeller
. Dodd created the business trust arrangement that enabled Rockefeller's control of many oil companies, and he organized Standard Oil
, one of the earliest large holding companies. Dodd was an opponent of the Sherman Antitrust Act
and argued that only "unreasonable" restraints of trade should be illegal; this view was adopted (after Dodd's death) by the United States Supreme Court in Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States
(though the court found Standard Oil's behavior to be unreasonable and ordered the company's break-up).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
notable for his work for John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
. Dodd created the business trust arrangement that enabled Rockefeller's control of many oil companies, and he organized Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
, one of the earliest large holding companies. Dodd was an opponent of the Sherman Antitrust Act
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act requires the United States federal government to investigate and pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of violating the Act. It was the first Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies, and today still forms the basis for most antitrust litigation by...
and argued that only "unreasonable" restraints of trade should be illegal; this view was adopted (after Dodd's death) by the United States Supreme Court in Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States
Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States
Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, 221 U.S. 1 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States found Standard Oil guilty of monopolizing the petroleum industry through a series of abusive and anticompetitive actions...
(though the court found Standard Oil's behavior to be unreasonable and ordered the company's break-up).