claim: UNESCO's City of Literature program aims to promote the social, economic and cultural development of cities in both the developed and the developing world.
evidence: John Hays Hammond -LRB- 31 March 1855 -- 8 June 1936 -RRB- was a mining engineer , diplomat , and philanthropist .. mining engineer. mining engineer. diplomat. diplomat. philanthropist. philanthropist. Known as the man with the Midas touch , he amassed a sizable fortune before the age of 40 .. Midas touch. Midas touch. An early advocate of deep mining , Hammond was given complete charge of Cecil Rhodes ' mines in South Africa and made each undertaking a financial success .. Cecil Rhodes. Cecil Rhodes. South Africa. South Africa. But after the dismal failure of the Jameson Raid , Hammond , along with the other leaders of the Johannesburg Reform Committee , was arrested and subsequently sentenced to death .. Jameson Raid. Jameson Raid. Johannesburg Reform Committee. Reform Committee ( Transvaal ). The Reform Committee leaders were released after paying large fines , but like many of the leaders , Hammond left Africa for good .. He returned to the United States , became a close friend of President William Howard Taft , and was appointed a special United States Ambassador .. William Howard Taft. William Howard Taft. United States Ambassador. United States Ambassador. At the same time , he continued to develop mines in Mexico and California and , in 1923 , he made another fortune while drilling for oil with the Burnham Exploration Company .. California. California. Mexico. Mexico. Burnham Exploration Company. Burnham Exploration Company. His son , John Hays Hammond , Jr. , patented over 400 inventions , and is widely regarded as the father of radio control .