Rockefeller, David THE ROCKEFELLER CENTURY JOHN ENSOR HARR AND PETER J. JOHNSON CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK 1988 A Rockefeller Known Not for Wealth but for His Efforts to Help - The New York Times Page 1 of 4 APRIL 8 WATCH TRAILER The New Dork Times http://nyti.ms/1mgcfEL N.Y. / REGION A Rockefeller Known Not for Wealth but for His Efforts to Help By JOSEPH BERGER JUNE 23, 2014 POCANTICO HILLS, N.Y. - As a late afternoon sun tinted the room in gold, the children and grandchildren of David Rockefeller, the banker and philanthropist, gathered around a long table this month for a dinner of scallops and vegetables and toasted his 99th birthday. His son Richard might have offered the most moving tribute, his younger sister, Eileen Rockefeller Growald, recalled. He thanked his father, at the table's other end, for being "a deeply kind person" and for "his love of family and his desire to keep our family together." "While an absolutely true and beautiful sentiment," she said, "it was also a projection on my brother's part, because my brother was a deeply kind and compassionate person." The next morning, June 13, Richard Rockefeller left the family estate here for Westchester County Airport to return home to Maine on one of the two small planes he piloted, a Piper Meridian single-engine turboprop, hoping to make a meeting of the board of one of his many causes, this one to conserve the rugged Maine seacoast. It was rainy and foggy with a cloud ceiling of 200 feet. The plane's left wing struck a tree, sending the plane crashing to the ground in front of horse stables in Harrison, N.Y., and killing Mr. Rockefeller, the plane's sole occupant, according to a preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. hhttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/nyregion/a-rockefeller-known-not-for-wealth-but-for-his-effor...3/6/2016 A Rockefeller Known Not for Wealth but for His Efforts to Help - The New York Times Page 2 of 4 Mr. Rockefeller, 65, was what is commonly called a Renaissance man, a Harvard-trained family doctor who could, among other enthusiasms, play the bagpipe, take polished photographs, carve wood, and ski, hike and sail expertly. But he devoted himself to a half-dozen causes, among them healing the wounds of post- traumatic stress disorder, curing sleeping sickness in Africa and saving the seas. "From his first consciousness, he was aware of the fourth-generation opportunities and resources he had, and he was thinking very deliberately of making use of them," a friend, the journalist James Fallows, said. He was, after all, a great-grandson of the man who founded Standard Oil and whose name became synonymous with vast wealth. Richard was not embarrassed to be a Rockefeller, Mr. Fallows said, but wanted to use that name effectively, not flamboyantly. At Harvard, Mr. Fallows recalled, he exhibited photographs as Richard Gilder (his middle name), because he wanted them to be judged for their own worth. Charles Harrison, a friend from the Harvard class of 1971, wrote in a reminiscence sent out to members of the class that he may have sought to project a regular-guy image by singing in clubs around Harvard Square. "I think he found it hard to define himself, given the huge array of possibilities he faced," Mr. Harrison said. He added that outwardly, Mr. Rockefeller "was not especially warm or affectionate, and never exuded much confidence, yet he did seek to help others." Much later, when the Rockefeller name could be put to powerful use, he capitalized on it for organizations like Doctors Without Borders. But he also immersed himself hands-on by, for example, visiting Cambodia, Niger and Peru to see the everyday reality of the patients doctors were treating - but with at least a modicum of style. "I have a nice photograph of him corking a bottle of good wine," said Dr. Susan Shepherd, a pediatrician who traveled with him to Niger. "He was authentic and humble, but sophisticated." http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/nyregion/a-rockefeller-known-not-for-wealth-but-for-his-effor...3/6/2016 A Rockefeller Known Not for Wealth but for His Efforts to Help - The New York Times Page 3 of 4 Mrs. Growald, who wrote a memoir, "Being a Rockefeller, Becoming Myself," recalled how during the birthday celebration, she and Richard had talked about his latest passion: calling attention to a drug for post-traumatic stress disorder, MDMA. "When I asked Richard how is it going, he said, 'It's going incredibly well,'" she recalled. " And the strangest thing, they told me they didn't need my help anymore. They've gotten the word out.'" Two days before the crash, Mr. Rockefeller spoke with Tim Glidden, president of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, about how to introduce more young people to the seacoast he grew to love at his family's island retreats near Mount Desert Island. The weekend before, he had met with David E. Shaw, the founding chairman of the Sargasso Sea Alliance, which strives to conserve the health of the Sargasso waters of the North Atlantic. With Mr. Rockefeller's help, the organization had succeeded in March in getting representatives of the United States, Britain, Bermuda and other interested places to collaborate on protecting the Sargasso Sea. And one month ago he met with Rachel M. Cohen, the regional executive director of Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, to discuss ways of widening philanthropic support. Mr. Rockefeller had been treated for leukemia and wanted to help others have access to lifesaving drugs. In recent years, he also devoted himself to his father and siblings (he was married to the former Nancy King and had two children from his first marriage, Clayton and Rebecca, two stepsons and three grandchildren). They worked to draw closer to their father, who, as head of what was then Chase Manhattan Bank, had been busy, leaving his home with what Mrs. Growald called "emotional scarcity." But the elder Mr. Rockefeller retired from banking in 1980, and as his daughter Peggy Dulany said, "as he's gotten older he's gotten sweeter and sweeter, and he's all about love and gratitude." After the family learned of the plane crash, the elder Mr. Rockefeller, though heartsick, spoke of how moved he had been by the toast, Ms. Dulany said. "He was happy with his children, with his marriage, grandchildren, work," Ms. Dulany said of her brother. "He felt like a person who was fully realized." http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/nyregion/a-rockefeller-known-not-for-wealth-but-for-his-effor... 3/6/2016 Message Page 1 of 1 Epp, Ronald From: Epp, Ronald Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 3:10 PM To: 'pjohnson@rockco.com" Subject: David Rockefeller & Acadia Dear Mr. Johnson: Cousins River Productions President & Cinematographer Ron Gillis provided me with you email address regarding our mutual involvement with the National Park Service, Acadia National Park. I write in the hope that the information contained in the attachments might be brought to the attention of Mr. Rockefeller. For the past four years I have been engaged in archival-based research for a biography of George Bucknam Dorr, a founder of ANP and a collaborator with John D. Rockefeller Jr. in its development. In the course of this research I've repeatedly visited the Rockefeller Archive Center, weighed through NPS archives at the National Archives, exhausted the patience of librarians and archivists on Mount Desert Island, and interviewed Ann Rockefeller Roberts and others closely involved with the park. In recent months I've joined forces with more than two dozen local representatives from the Acadia National Park Advisory Board, the Friends of Acadia, Acadia National Park, and the College of the Atlantic to develop a series of events and celebrations over the next several years that educate both MDI residents and seasonal visitors about the legacy of the park founders: Mr. Dorr, Mr. Rockefeller, and President Eliot. If Mr. Rockefeller has any preferences for how such activities might unfold | would be most appreciative if this were brought to my attention. In the same spirit, if Mr. Rockeller recalls interactions between the park founders, I would be most interested in pursuing this as well. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. Director of Shapiro Library Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH 03106 603-668-2211, ext. 2164 603-645-9685 fax 603-424-6149 (home) 2/10/2005 an entrepreneurial spirit: ABOUT ROCKEFELLER PHILANTHROPY ADVISORS Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Three Centuries of that helps donors to create thoughtful, effective philanthropy throughout the world. Headquartered in New York City, it traces its antecedents to John D. Rockefeller, Sr., who in 1891 began to professionally manage Rockefeller Family his philanthropy "as if it were a business.' Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors provides research and counsel on charitable giving, develops Philanthropy philanthropic programs, and offers complete program, administrative and management services for foundations and trusts. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors currently advises on and manages more than $100 million in annual giving in more than 20 countries. 437 Madison Avenue 101 Second Street 37th Floor 24th Floor New York, NY 10022 San Francisco, CA 94105 (212) 812-4330 (415) 543-0733 www.rockpa.org table of contents 2 Foreword Melissa A. Berman, President and CEO, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors 4 Preface Eileen Rockefeller Growald, Founding Chair, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors 5 The Rockefeller Family's Philanthropic Beginnings: A Brief History Peter J. Johnson, Historian, Author and Rockefeller Family Associate Edited by Donzelina A. Barroso 20 Values, Rituals, and Communication in Rockefeller Family Philanthropy Eileen Rockefeller Growald, Founding Chair, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors 31 Learning Philanthropy: Opportunity and Relationship-Building Among the Younger Generations Peter O'Neill Allison Whipple Rockefeller Theo Spencer Penny Fujiko Willgerodt, Vice President & Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors 45 Personal Engagement and Passion in Philanthropy: Two Generations Share their Experiences David Rockefeller, Sr. David Rockefeller, Jr. © 2005. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors 64 Biographies * This book is printed on paper made from 30% post-consumer content. This text is adapted from the transcript of "Reflections on the Past, Present and Future: The Legacy of Rockefeller Family Philanthropy," a public symposium hosted by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and held on November 18, 2004 at The Asia Society. New York City. Q: It occurs to me that you all have done SO many Personal Engagement and creative things, as well as keeping up with the Passion in Philanthropy: logacy that you have been given. Some of you serve on boards of places where your parents or Two Generations Share their grandparents served. Do you find that what your Experiences parents involved you in moves you toward these other projects such as the Cornerstone Parks. or do DAVID ROCKEFELLER, SR. you find that your interests depart from theirs? DAVID ROCKEFELLER, JR. AWR: In my case, I was not born a Rockefeller. My Effective philanthropy children were, and they will have to deal with those avid Rockefeller, Jr: (DR, Jr.): It is a pleasure is about clear issues in due time. But I have enjoyed this legacy very to be here with my father and to share some and open much, because all of the passions I had as a young of our thoughts. Our remarks will focus communication in both person and a young adult, before I ever met my more on our personal experiences and our directions. husband, are SO spot-on in the legacy that this approaches to philanthropy rather than on family has given me the privilege to be a part of. intra-generational issues. I am extremely interested in New York State, and I am We have, I am delighted to say, shared some interested in open space and conservation, and there is philanthropic activities, beginning with serving on the not one board meeting that goes by without Nelson board of the Rockefeller University, on which my Rockefeller being remembered as the initiator of a father has now sat for more than 60 years. I had a directive for clean air and clean water; or Laurance short tenure there largely because it did not directly Rockefeller with the Greenway, Central Park and the relate to my specific passions, a theme I consider very National Parks; or David for his emphasis on the important. We have also served on the Museum of American farmland and the interpretation of Modern Art (MoMA) board together-my father for agriculture and seasonal food. I 'hey are all more than 50 years and I for over 25. We served in remembered. These things are such a pleasure to succession on the board of the Rockefeller Brothers waltz into, having done nothing but enjoyed the ride, Fund, as well as on the board of a smaller foundation and I am SO pleased and SO proud to be a part of it. called the David Rockefeller Fund, which my father set up in order to engage his children and grandchildren in philanthropy. In addition, I 3 Some that work is documented Kim Robinson, Colliburative Grant Making: Lessons Learned from the Rockefeller Family's Experience (Washington, DC: succeeded my father as the American advisor to the National Center for Family Philanthropy, 2001. 44 Learning Philmarking Penant and Passes 45 Praemium Imperiale-an organization that distributes directives taught me useful lessons-accountability and international prizes for the arts. sharing. To begin the discussion, I would like you, I also learned from him the importance of Dads, to reflect on how your own father and seizing opportunities. I can think of two instances that grandfather influenced you when you were young. illustrate this principle. This first occurred on a trip to First you could address conversations about Williamsburg, Virginia. Father and Mother used to philanthropy, and then you could delve into some early take their children on trips during vacations to influential trips that I know that you took, where not different parts of the United States and, later, abroad, only philanthropy but the potential of philanthropy SO that we would get an appreciation of what was was a theme. going on in the world. We went to Williamsburg because Father had met the rector of a church there David Rockefeller, Sr. (DR, Sr.): I was 21 years old when and thought highly of him. Williamsburg had been the Grandfather (John D. Rockefeller) died. Growing up, I seat of the governors of North America before the saw a lot of him, and was devoted to him, as I think he American Revolution. Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, the was to me. Ivisited him in Florida, in Lakewood, NJ, pastor of the church, was our guide. He showed Father and in Tarrytown, NY. We had meals together, and I a particular building that needed to be restored. After enjoyed his company immensely. By the time that I we left, he wrote Father asked him if he would came to know him, however, he had ceased to be restore it, which he did. Father became more involved personally in philanthropy. Although he was interested, and ended up financing the restoration of an important influence in my life, his influence was the entire village of Williamsburg, which I hope many not directly related to philanthropy. of you have visited. You still can see the letter that It can be very Insofar as Father (John D. Rockefeller, Jr.) Dr. Goodwin wrote to Father, and the response in satisfying to was concerned, I think learned a great deal about which Father signed the letter "David's Father" identify a need philanthropy from him. Philanthropy was important because he did not want it to known that he was and seize the opportunity to my father in many respects and he felt that it was buying up the land. to help important that his children learn about it at an early The second such example occurred when we alleviate it. age. He gave us an allowance starting around age ten, visited Versailles, France right after World War II. and no matter how small the allowance was, it was The guide pointed out the fact that the chateau was in given with the understanding that: (1) we would keep danger of being ruined, because water was coming a record of how we spent the money; and (2) that we down through holes in the roofs and destroying walls. would give ten percent of it to charity. Both of those Afterward, Father put up the money to replace all the 46 Present and Passion Personal red Passion Praemium Imperiale-an organization that distributes directives taught me useful lessons-accountability and international prizes for the arts. sharing. To begin the discussion, I would like you, I also learned from him the importance of Dads, to reflect on how your own father and seizing opportunities. I can think of two instances that grandfather influenced you when you were young. illustrate this principle. This first occurred on a trip to First you could address conversations about Williamsburg, Virginia. Father and Mother used to philanthropy, and then you could delve into some early take their children on trips during vacations to influential trips that I know that you took, where not different parts of the United States and, later, abroad, only philanthropy but the potential of philanthropy SO that we would get an appreciation of what was was a theme. going on in the world. We went to Williamsburg because Father had met the rector of a church there David Rockefeller, Sr. (DR, Sr.): I was 21 years old when and thought highly of him. Williamsburg had been the Grandfather (John D. Rockefeller) died. Growing up, I seat of the governors of North America before the saw a lot of him, and was devoted to him, as I think he American Revolution. Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, the was to me. I visited him in Florida, in Lakewood, NJ, pastor of the church, was our guide. He showed Father and in Tarrytown, NY. We had meals together, and I a particular building that needed to be restored. After enjoyed his company immensely. By the time that I we left, he wrote Father and asked him if he would came to know him, however, he had ceased to be restore it, which he did. Father became more involved personally in philanthropy. Although he was interested, and ended up financing the restoration of an important influence in my life, his influence was the entire village of Williamsburg, which I hope many not directly related to philanthropy. of you have visited. You still can see the letter that It can be very Insofar as Father (John D. Rockefeller, Jr.) Dr. Goodwin wrote to Father, and the response in satisfying to was concerned, I think I learned a great deal about which Father signed the letter "David's Father" identify a need philanthropy from him. Philanthropy was important because he did not want it to known that he was and seize the opportunity to my father in many respects and he felt that it was buying up the land. to help important that his children learn about it at an early The second such example occurred when we alleviate it. age. He gave us an allowance starting around age ten, visited Versailles, France right after World War II. and no matter how small the allowance was, it was The guide pointed out the fact that the chateau was in given with the understanding that: (1) we would keep danger of being ruined, because water was coming a record of how we spent the money; and (2) that we down through holes in the roofs and destroying walls. would give ten percent of it to charity. Both of those Afterward, Father put up the money to replace all the Personal Regagenews and Presson Per would Elegagement and Process 47 roofs of Versailles. If you have been there, you know it DR, Sr.: I felt as though I came up through the ranks is quite a big place, SO it was not of Chase. Over my 35 years there I think I held every an inconsiderable thing for him to have done. He took officer position possible, from assistant manager to a personal interest in seeing the project through and I chairman. As I worked my way up I observed that the remember on one occasion staying at the hotel in bank's charitable gifts usually reflected the interests of Versailles and being allowed to ride bicycles through the senior officers of the bank, and or those of their the park and to walk on the roofs while they were wives. But it did not seem to me that there was any being restored. logic or cohesiveness to Chase's giving. I persuaded the I mention these stories because they gave me officers to spend a weekend together to discuss what insight into some of the things that Father did and the bank should be doing and how much it should For all of us, how he happened upon them. It has been a great spend. We developed a program much along the lines, the question lesson to me, and I have followed his example. It can really, of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, as a result of of how much be very satisfying to identify a need and seize the which the bank had-and I think still has-a rather strategic thinking we opportunity to help alleviate it. carefully organized corporate philanthropic program. ought to do as I think it has been very effective over the years, individuals, as DR. Jr.: I know my father follows that rule. If you ever much more SO than if Chase had continued to give corporations, and as have the opportunity to sit in his office and an idea is on a purely casual basis. foundations, generated about someone who can make something is an important happen, it is never his response to say, "I'll get to DR, In: For all of us, the question of how much one. that next week." He says, "Would you get that person strategic thinking WC ought to do as individuals, as on the phone, please?" Immediate response in corporations, and as foundations, is an important one. philanthropy, and an entrepreneurial nature, is very With all the choices available, it is very hard to do important. The renovation of corner gas stations what our grandfather and great-grandfather did, which through the Cornerstone Parks Project would be, is to sprinkle dimes around, as Peter Johnson likes to I think, a very good example of that entrepreneurial say. In my own case, my mother (Peggy McGrath spirit. Could you comment on your experiences at Rockefeller) was deeply interested in music, and that Chase Manhattan Bank? You were one of the leaders had a great early influence on me. She used to play the in the corporate world when Chase developed its piano when we were sitting in the evening, either famous art collection, but you also led Chase to doing homework or having a martini. (I was not the become an important vehicle for institutional one with the martini.) Those evenings formed what philanthropy. has become a lifetime of connection to music and the Personal Engagement and Pleasant Personal Kugagework and Passion 40 arts for me. Certainly, art was around on the walls, and the responsibility for a certain percentage of what music was playing in the house. My passion led me I give away each year to each individual on the board. from music and art to arts education, and, ultimately, In that way, each child or grandchild can have a hand to an interest in education reform. And Tcan trace it in making personally some of those gifts. This has all back to the piano in the living room and the been both fun and productive, and it has introduced Cézanne over the sofa. me to a number of areas that I might not have thought That leads me to ask, Dads, as you think about of myself. the difference between your community giving, and your giving to some of the larger institutions with DR. In: I myself have two daughters, both students which you've been SO identified-Harvard University, at Columbia University. The older one has already the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). and the served on the David Rockefeller Fund board, and the I have found Rockefeller University as three major examples-how younger one is coming up in the near future. As they it very differently do you think about your giving to major both live in New York City, they have the opportunity valuable institutions with which you are personally involved to see not only what their father is doing, but what to have my family's input versus your community giving? their grandfather is doing and thinking. The theme, it on what I seems to me, of personal engagement. is SO important. consider to DR, Sr.: I think both are equally important. I set up You mentioned the personal engagement of your be my responsibilities the David Rockefeller Fund in part to address father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in Williamsburg, VA. to the community responsibilities, but also because I was You didn't mention that he rejected, as I understand it, communities eager to have my children and grandchildren observe the colors of some of the bricks that were shown for in which I live, as well as how I have been giving money away. Not that my way possible use in the structures. But you have had similar to hear their is the right way, but it is one way of doing so, and I connections, surely, to the wonderful MoMA. in its thoughts on was interested in their participation and involvement. four iterations. Can you talk a little bit about the what other areas would From my perspective, it has been very useful. meaning of personal involvement, and by that I mean be of interest. Because I have SO many children and not just financial involvement? grandchildren, we have a system of rotation on the board. I have found it very valuable to have my family's DR, Sr.: The MoMA was inspired by three remarkable input on what I consider to be my responsibilities to ladies, one of them my mother (Abby Aldrich the communities in which I live, as well as to hear Rockefeller), in the 1920s. These three ladies invited a their thoughts on what other areas would be of young graduate student at Harvard named Alfred Barr interest. We have also been working on distributing to share his thoughts and advice with them. That is SD Personal and Passion Previously Passion 51 how the MoMA began, and, of course, it has had an of what turned out to be the winning architect was an extraordinary career. There has been a lot in the entire education in itself. I think it was Peter O'Neill papers about the new building, which has just been who said that we often feel that we get more than we The pleasure completed by a very brilliant Japanese architect, Mr. give. That feeling really comes about through personal of the involvement Yoshio Taniguchi. I think it has become one of, if not involvement in programs or projects. The pleasure with the the, greatest museum of modern art in the world. The of the involvement with the institutions sets up a institutions space was dedicated yesterday, and I cut the ribbon resonance whereby the giver gives freely and with joy sets up a resonance assisted by the governor and the mayor of New York. and learning. Ultimately I believe it is the programs whereby the It is exciting to me that this institution, which started that we have been personally involved in that give us giver gives out very small, has now opened a magnificent new the most pleasure. That has certainly been true for me. freely and with joy and building that is, in my opinion, in itself a very Nonetheless, giving funds without involvement learning. beautiful work of art. as well as the ideal setting for is also important, because you cannot be involved Ultimately I some of the most magnificent works of art of the in every project if you give, as [ do, to about 100 believe it is the 20th and 21st centuries. programs that different organizations, or, as my father does, to 500. we have been So, though you cannot do it everywhere, you can personally DR, Jr.: Your comments make me think about a depend on your friends or colleagues to tell you about involved in that give us the comment made in the previous discussion about the great enterprises in which they are engaged. You can most pleasure. pleasure of knowing really interesting and powerful trust that they have good ideas and good connections. That has people. Because of my Praemium Imperiale trips to Turning now to family foundations: Dads, certainly been true for me. Japan, I was in Tokyo on a regular basis during a ten- could you describe the early days of the Rockefeller year period. When Yoshio Taniguchi became one of Brothers Fund and how it shifted over time from an the three finalists for the MoMA project, I decided I enterprise that was more, as I understand it, about wanted to see his buildings. He gave me a personal personal community giving, into something that had tour through four of his Japanese buildings. I can say a much more strategic cast. that the consistency of his work from what he did earlier to MoMA is amazing. He took concepts that DR, Sr.: I had four brothers, none of whom, sadly, are played out in very clean, uncluttered environments, alive today. Immediately after World War II, we began such as the case of the aquarium in Tokyo or of the meeting on a regular basis to discuss what we were Toyota Museum in Toyota City, for example, and put going to do with our lives, what we thought was them into the middle of a very complicated block in important, and how we would manage the properties Manhattan. Having a chance to see through the eyes and possessions that had been passed down to us by Personal and Passion Person and Passion 53 our father. As a result of those meetings, we recognized although the beneficiaries are probably not generally early on that we were each being approached for entities that our family is personally involved with, charitable contributions by many of the same much less certainly than in the early days, the themes organizations. Without any coordination, it would have are similar. Many of the members of our family still been inevitable (and awkward) that one of us might reside in or near New York City. This is strongly give a very modest sum and another very much more. reflected in the program of the RBF. We thus decided to give jointly to those organizations This is where I believe that scale of the family in which we shared a collective interest. We first has a lot to do with what your family strategies are. I do think that gathered advice from Arthur Packard, our family When you are five brothers and a sister and thinking the heart is as philanthropic who had worked with Father. But about what you want to do collectively, it is very important as the mind in soon afterward we came to the conclusion that it would different from when you number close to 90, such as charitable make sense to have an organization to manage those the Fifth / Sixth Generation. Imagine collective giving. A gifts, and we created the Rockefeller Brothers Fund decision-making there, where it makes more sense to program of (RBF), which today is a well-known organization with have entities that reflect in a general way the strong giving that is based substantial resources. Although our relative resources interests of the foundation or members of the family, exclusively on were quite different at the time we established the and to bring in professionals to help out. the intellectual Fund-I was the youngest, and Father appropriately This also raises the question of how to define and objective may miss gave us increasing amounts as we got older-each of us the family as the generations expand. Are you the important contributed to it, and Father gave a substantial amount nuclear family; are you the line of your father or your opportunities. to help launch the program. After his death, the RBF grandfather? I think the DR Fund is a response to our became a much more significant foundation than it had sense that at its most satisfying, philanthropy can be been originally. That leap occurred in the mid 1960s. a very personal experience. If the family is too big, RBF is now run in a very different and more organized then that personal experience can be hard to maintain. way than it had been originally, and with a much more So while the Rockefeller Foundation is run by non- defined program of activities. But I think all of us felt Rockefeller family members, the RBF, chaired by my that originally it was a very satisfactory way to be able cousin Steven Rockefeller, has seven or eight family to accomplish a great deal more collectively than we members involved, and the DR Fund has family could have on a purely personal basis. members of my father's line only. Someday there may be the DR Jr. Fund. The RBF has shifted over time in DR, Jr.: It is interesting that today there is still an response to the scale of the family and the scale of the important New York City program at the RBF, and historical interests, and frankly the size of the issues in the room. Have you got any closing thought? S.4 Personal and Passion Personal Engagement and Passion 55 DR, Sr.: Just to re-emphasize that I do think that the I think it would be unfortunate if that were not to heart is as important as the mind in charitable giving. continue. What the impact would be if there were no A program of giving that is based exclusively on the estate taxes is a challenge, because in a sense you have intellectual and objective may miss important less incentive, rather than more, to give. I would hope opportunities. I learned that from my father, and that people would say, "Well, how wonderful, we now I've tried to do it myself. Over and above a program have no taxes, therefore we will give even more than that is well-planned and organized, when you see we would have with the taxes." But I am not sure that opportunities it is wonderful to be able to do would always work. I do think the percentage is really something about them. the question. In my mind, it would be a mistake to eliminate the tax altogether, but on the other hand I DR, Jr.: I guess one would say that if an outcome- think 70 or 80 percent, which we had at one time, is based strategy of philanthropy was taken to its much too high. extreme, the heart would not be engaged. You would engage the mind, and you might not do as well and DR, Jr.: If you look abroad, you see that private charity probably would not have as much fun, and I certainly is, even in very weal thy nations, not a major theme. subscribe to having fun. Let us see if we have I think the question would be, would the residue of the stimulated any questions. stamp of generosity that had been impelled at least to some extent by the tax code, remain and be sustained, Q: I hope this will be a hypothetical question. but as or would we glide into the path of many European and you know, Congress might eliminate the federal other nations, where private philanthropy is really not estate tax In that case what effect do you feel this a major player? You may know that Bill Gates, Sr. took will have on the heart the mind. and the quantum a leading role in advocating for the estate tax. I tried to of giving? help him a couple of years ago, and to date we have not fully prevailed. I think there could be serious DR, Sr.: In my mind there is no doubt that the disadvantages to the non-profit sector as a whole, fact that we are given charitable deductions on certainly in the long run. Whether it would be as contributions is a very positive, encouraging factor to much of a problem in the short run, I think, is giving. I have intended to give the full amount of my probably the main question. charitable deductions ever since that went into effect, and in a number of cases I have gone beyond the Q I wonder if you might add another historical note amount. It is a big stimulus to charitable giving, and When MK think of the Rockefeller family. we think 56 Personal Engagement and Passion Passent Engagement and Passion 57 of generations and generations in philanthropy, branch; we have worked at it and enjoy each other and but when we think of some of the other great enjoy working together. 19th-century fortunes-the Carnegies the Vanderbilts, and the do not think DR, Sr.: And because of the example that was set by of philanthropy. Perhaps the only other examples Grandfather and Father. I can think of are the Rothschilds and your various families. Are the Rockefellers unique, or DR, Jr.: Exactly. So it is very conscious. I have been are there other families that have succeeded over working on my daughters, and the proof of those multiple generations? puddings is still, I think, to be seen. But we do have the example of passing these values down, one person DR, Jr.: I am not a historian of family philanthropy, to another. I do not know how long it will go on, and but I think it may be that other families are more it would be an interesting question, I think, to ask under the radar and doing as much as five and six whether, and to what extent, other families have been generations down the line as our family. We have successful in keeping these traditions. tended to retain family names in our foundations, and without, frankly, any public relations guidance, I think, (): Chose of us in the field can never drive up the have kept the Rockefeller philanthropic "brand" out west side of Manhattan without thinking about there in the minds of citizens. Some 10 years ago, the origins of the Palisades Do you feel that there around the time of the sale of Rockefeller Center, was 3 sense in your fathers generation that the a well-known public relations advisor told us that philanthropic dollar more "pomph," if you will, philanthropy was really the most distinguishing in addressing issues and making major changes than characteristic of the family today, not historically, it does today? and that to the extent that we wanted to continue strongly as a family, we should promote that. And DR, Sr. I certainly think that Father had resources at I think, at least informally, we probably have. Why his disposal that were considerably greater than that of other families have not persisted in this way, I really any of the subsequent generations, making it possible do not know, but it takes a lot of work, especially when for him to undertake projects such as the restoration of the family is large. The William branch, John D. Williamsburg, VA, or Versailles, or the Palisades. Any Rockefeller's brother, and all his descendants, probably of these for my generation and beyond would be group number some 500 or 600 members by today. I do not efforts. I have to say the Northern Forest Lands believe they have as much cohesion as the John Collaboration is a good example of a large-scale 58 Personal Engagement and Parties Personal of Passion 50 project to which our family has given substantially, (): With regard to Chase, were you building a good while also bringing in the contributions of other Chase, or .) good art collection? What rule should a donors. I think that may be a tradition that could be corporate art lection play? continued not only by our family, but picked up by others. If one group sets the lead in undertaking a DR, Sr.: We started the art collection when I was a project beyond their own financial capacities, they can senior officer at Chase. I felt that there were several bring other partners in to support it. considerations. First, there was the question of a brand new building that we had built at 1 Chase Plaza that DR, Jr.: Real estate values certainly are a factor, as is had a lot of wall space that was going to be pretty bare the capacity of the family. From a real estate point of if there was nothing on it. Gordon Bunshaft. the view the northern forests, which are located in architect of the buil ding himself, said to me, "I think northern New York State and New England, are not you need to consider what you are going to do about If one group near any major urban areas that tend to exacerbate that." So we put gether a committee of five very sets the lead property prices. Grandfather had both the capacity and distinguished heads of museums, including Alfred Barf in undertaking the vision in a time where the Palisades were close, but from the MoMA, to advise us as to how we could go a project beyond their not as close, to the developed New York City as they about filling that space in a way that would achieve own financial are today. Thank heaven he had the vision and the its objective of covering the walls with something capacities, opportunity. The opportunities that are out there are interesting, while also being able to support living they can bring other not as obvious, and not as close, certainly, to us urban artists and to acquire beautiful works of art that would partners in to dwellers, as they were in the past. Nonetheless, there be of interest to those who worked in the bank as well support it. are opportunities in the natural world. My work with as those who visited it. We set up an art committee of the National Park Foundation has caused me to see distinguished advisors to help us and then proceeded what amazing advances can be made in some of the to purchase the works of art. I think the results have outlying national parks where there are in-holdings or demonstrated that it was worth doing: many people adjacent holdings that could be added in order to give working for and visiting the bank have enjoyed these integrity to a park. Summer 2005 will be the 25th works over the years, and, in addition, it certainly has anniversary, for example, of Jimmy Carter's signing of helped a lot of living artists. It has also turned out to the Alaskan National Lands Conservation Act, the be a rather good investment. because the value of the land conservation act that essentially doubled the size collection today, I think is something like five time of the national parks system in one stroke of the pen. what it was when we bought it. Many other corporations followed Chase's example. 60 Personal Employees and Passion Personal Engagement and Passion 61 3/22/2017 David Rockefeller, generous benefactor to Harvard, former Overseer, dies at 101 I Harvard Gazette Harvard Gazette Campus & Community > Obituaries David Rockefeller dies at 101 Business leader was generous benefactor to Harvard, headed Overseers March 21, 2017 Editor's Pick Popular File photo by Justin Ide Celebrated businessman and philanthropist David Rockefeller '36 was a generous benefactor of Harvard, serving on the Board of Overseers for 12 years, and donating many substantial gifts to support the humanities and financial aid at the University. By Stephanie Schorow, Harvard Correspondent Email Twitter Facebook David Rockefeller '36, a prominent member of a storied family, a global leader in business and philanthropy, and a longtime Harvard University benefactor and Overseer. died Monday at his home in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. He was 101. Born into a family whose name was synonymous with fame and largesse, Rockefeller graduated from Harvard College in 1936 He did graduate work at Harvard with economist Joseph Schumpeter before earning a doctorate in economics at the University of Chicago in 1940. The grandson of John D. Rockefeller, who founded the family's fortune, David Rockefeller embarked on an immensely successful career as a commercial banker and businessman, serving as the chairman, president, and CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank and chairman of the board of the Rockefeller Group. He also was an influential figure on the world stage for decades. He was a generous donor to Harvard faculties and Schools, and that generosity has had a lasting impact on the University's institutions and vision. Capping decades of support for a variety of University priorities, in 2008 he pledged $100 million to increase learning opportunities dramatically for undergraduates through international experiences and participation in the arts, as well as supporting the renovation of the Harvard Art Museums. The gift was then the largest from an alumnus in Harvard's history. "David was a visionary leader, an extraordinary philanthropist, and a devoted friend," said Harvard President Drew Faust. "His passion for Harvard was infectious, and his commitment to the arts, to experiential learning, and to increasing knowledge of other cultures has made a lasting impact on the University and the thousands of students and scholars who have benefited from his generosity. The Harvard community is deeply saddened by David's death, and we extend our deepest condolences to the Rockefeller family." Rockefeller was a member of the executive committee of the Committee on University Resources, and was honorary chair of The University Campaign, which raised a record $2.6 billion for Harvard between 1994 and 1999. He also served on the Harvard Board of Overseers from 1954 to 1966. and was president of the board from 1966 to 1968. In recognition of his many forms of service to the University, he received an honorary degree in 1969. Described by Fortune magazine in 1977 as "the nation's leading business statesman," Rockefeller was also an innovative philanthropist with a wide range of interests, including Latin America, modern art, and the sciences. In 1994, he donated $25 million to create the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard, which has become one of the pre- eminent institutions of its kind in the world and is distinguished as the first interfaculty initiative for international studies at Harvard Rockefeller's initial gifts to the center, which provided endowments for three chairs in Latin American Studies, have been emulated by other donors, and Harvard now benefits from seven new endowed professorships dedicated to the study of Latin America. In addition, eight endowed fellowships for visiting researchers have been added. 3/22/2017 David Rockefeller, generous benefactor to Harvard, former Overseer, dies at 101 Harvard Gazette Harvard President Drew Faust met with David Rockefeller during his visit to campus on April 25. 2008. File photo by Justin Ide "In the early 1990s, David Rockefeller had the vision to help lead Harvard's effort in creating the first University-wide center of its kind," said former Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine in 2008. "David realized that the time was right to turn attention - in a much more powerful and concentrated way - on Latin American affairs." Rockefeller credited Harvard for his interest in global issues. "Harvard opened my eyes and my mind to the world," Rockefeller said in 2008. "It was because of Harvard's language requirement that I spent the summer of 1933 in Germany and saw firsthand the ominous rise of fascism. And it was at Harvard that I first studied art history. Harvard provided me with an intellectual framework to understand what I was seeing and experiencing that has stayed with me for my entire life." Funds provided to students through the David Rockefeller International Experience Grants, established as part of the 2008 gift, have created opportunities for a generation of students to travel the globe to work on projects spanning the humanities. social sciences, and life sciences. "It seems entirely fitting that David's remarkable gift will ensure that all undergraduates, regardless of financial means, will have the opportunity to follow David's example and to become citizens of the world," Faust noted. Rudenstine said in his 2008 remarks that Rockefeller's philanthropy was only one of his many callings. "It has characterized a life in which a natural spirit of generosity has been strengthened and deepened by an equally strong sense of responsibility for the common good - and for the health of institutions and societies around the world," he wrote, quoting his 1999 speech at the New York Public Library. Many in the Harvard community felt Rockefeller's death personally. "For all its inevitability, this news is no less heartbreaking," said William L. Fash Jr., the Charles P. Bowditch Professor of Central American and Mexican Archaeology and Ethnology. "That truly is a gap that can never be filled. We can find solace by reflecting on all the wondrous and productive and world-changing things that he made possible for us and for our students, but also for generations to come." Others recalled Rockefeller's lively mind and wide-ranging interests. As a child, Rockefeller developed a fascination with bugs. His beetle collection grew to 2,000 species and 150,000 specimens. He also amassed a huge, museum-quality art collection of 15,000 pieces. "This is a deeply sad time for us all, as David touched our lives in so many unique ways," said Brian Farrell, director of the David Rockefeller Center. "He was a tireless advocate for higher education and particularly for international experiences, with a boundless intellectual curiosity in everything from beetles, our shared passion, to art and world cultures." 3/22/2017 David Rockefeller, University trustee and descendent of UChicago's philanthropic founder, 1915-2017 UChicago News Service and leadership on a global stage After completing his graduate work, Rockefeller began in government service, working for New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. During World War II, he served as an intelligence officer in North Africa and the south of France, achieving the rank of captain. With the return of peace, Rockefeller embarked on his career at Chase Manhattan and worked to continue his family's tradition of philanthropy-what John D. Rockefeller Sr. called "the art of giving.' He was first elected as a trustee of the University of Chicago on May 8, 1947. He served as a trustee until 1963, became an honorary trustee until 1966, then was a life trustee until 2007 and was a trustee emeritus at the time of his death. Rockefeller became chairman and chief executive of Chase, where he focused on global banking and developed important relationships with numerous world leaders. He was part of a generation of Rockefellers who held a prominent place in American civic life. His brother Nelson Rockefeller was governor of New York and later vice president of the United States, while his brother Winthrop Rockefeller served as governor of Arkansas. David Rockefeller's civic work included helping New York City through its financial crisis, serving as a key supporter of New York's Museum of Modern Art, and leading Rockefeller University as chairman of its board of trustees. His many years of service to educational, civic and cultural institutions earned Rockefeller honors, including the U.S. Legion of Merit, the French Legion of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Gray said that when Rockefeller retired from Chase, the bank's board decided to honor him by endowing a chair in his honor, rather than through a direct gift - after all, "what could you give a Rockefeller?" There was a competition between Harvard and the University of Chicago for the chair, which was to be in international economics. Chicago won, and Rockefeller came for the announcement and dinner that inaugurated the chair. "He always remained interested in following its progress and learning of its incumbents," Gray said. The chair is now held by Nobel laureate Lars Hansen, the David Rockefeller Distinguished Service Professor in Economics. John W. Boyer, dean of the College and author of The University of Chicago: A History, said David Rockefeller valued what his family had begun at the University of Chicago, and he contributed to its later successes. "David Rockefeller served with great distinction as an active trustee of the University, as a generous philanthropist in support of the University's academic programs and as a wise adviser to several of our presidents," Boyer said. "The gifts of his grandfather, John D. Rockefeller Sr., to the early University of Chicago were primarily responsible for the founding of one of the great new research universities in modern America, setting a model for those who would follow in advancing the well-being of American higher education and society. David Rockefeller shared with his grandfather and his father a deep conviction about the profound responsibilities that the great American universities bear in enhancing the intellectual creativity and cultural progress of American civic life." Rockefeller is survived by five of his children, David Rockefeller Jr. Abigail Rockefeller, Neva Rockefeller Goodwin, Peggy Dulany and Ellen Rockefeller Growald He was preceded in death by his son Richard Rockefeller. Tags David Rockefeller(http://news.uchicago.edu/tag/david-rockefeller) President Robert J. Zimmer (http://news.uchicago.edu/tag/president-robert-j-zimmer), John W. Boyer (http://news.uchicago.edu/tag/john- w-boyer), Alumni (http://news.uchicago.edu/tag/alumni), Obituary (http://news.uchicago.edu/tag/obituary), Board of Trustees (http://news.uchicago.edu/tag/board-trustees) Munch Madness OBITUARY David Rockefeller, business statesman' and former Chase Manhattan chairman, dies at 101 NEW YORK TIMES David Rockefeller headed uptown from his office in Manhattan in a cadillac limousine to a private luncheon in 1973. By Mark Feeney | GLOBE STAFF MARCH 20, 2017 David Rockefeller, the former chairman of the Chase Manhattan Bank, whose perhaps-unrivaled range of business relationships, institutional affiliations, and personal connections, as well as membership in one of the nation's best-known families, earned him the unofficial title "chairman of the American establishment," died Monday morning at his home in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. He was 101. His death was confirmed by a family spokesman, Fraser P. Seidel. How well connected was Mr. Rockefeller? In an alcove off his Rockefeller Center office, he kept a II." It was no hyperbole when Fortune magazine described him in 1977 as "the nation's leading business statesman." Mr. Rockefeller's reach extended far beyond business. A nephew, former US Senator Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, once called him "probably the most powerful man in America." Mr. Rockefeller scoffed at the title, but the perception that he presided over the intersection of financial and political influence in this country, if not the world, made him a favorite target of conspiracy theorists at both ends of the political spectrum. Get Fast Forward in your inbox: Forget yesterday's news. Get what you need Enter email address Sign Up today in this early-morning email. Mr. Rockefeller's vigorous and longstanding advocacy of globalization (he visited 103 countries and traveled 5 million air miles during his 35 years at Chase, which became JPMorgan Chase, in 2000) added fuel to the fire. Seeing internationalization in economic rather than political terms, Mr. Rockefeller never disguised the fact that his interest in making business deals was not limited to democracies. The accusation "David Rockefeller has never met a dictator he didn't like" was frequently heard. While Mr. Rockefeller's reserved, bankerly nature made him an unlikely object of demonization, it ideally suited him for service on institutional boards. At various times he was chairman of New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard University's board of overseers, the Japan Society, and the Trilateral Commission. The commission, of which he was cofounder, was a special bugbear of the far left and right: No fewer than 15 members held positions of influence in the Carter administration, including the president and vice president, as well as the secretaries of state, defense, and treasury. Mr. Rockefeller never ventured out of the private sector. When his brother Nelson was governor of New York, there was talk of Mr. Rockefeller running for mayor of New York. Richard Nixon twice asked him to be secretary of the treasury. Jimmy Carter did SO once, also seeking him as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Mr. Rockefeller declined all four offers, instead preferring, as he put it in his "Memoirs" (2002), "the fascinating and personally rewarding life of a commercial banker." His closest brush with politics came in 1979 when Mr. Rockefeller's efforts to gain the exiled shah of Iran admittance into the United States became a cause celebre. Only part of Mr. Rockefeller's influence stemmed from his wealth and position. Forbes magazine stated his worth as being $3.1 billion in 2016. Yet that sum placed him only 214th on its list of the richest Americans. Mr. Rockefeller owed fame even more to his surname. So much of the Rockefellers' unique status had to do with its great ongoing commitment to philanthropy. The list of institutions the Rockefellers either founded or notably assisted includes the University of Chicago, Rockefeller University, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Brown Calling philanthropy "a tradition in our family," Mr. Rockefeller was brought up to believe that "with opportunities go obligations," he said in a 2002 Boston Globe interview. "It seems to me that's a pretty simple but basic lesson for just about anybody," he said. "It would be a sad waste of one's life if one didn't use those opportunities to do things that are constructive for society as a whole." Besides those institutions and causes already noted, Mr. Rockefeller involved himself with numerous others. He took a great interest in Latin America, one result of which is the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. As president of Morningside Heights Inc., he helped build middle-class housing in New York near Columbia University in the late 40s and '50s. He was instrumental in the redevelopment of lower Manhattan, with the siting of Chase's 60-story headquarters there in the late '50s; and, as chairman of the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, with the building of the World Trade Center. Famous for his energy, Mr. Rockefeller never let it go to waste. Asked in that 2002 interview why he waited until he was 87 to publish his autobiography, Mr. Rockefeller replied, "Maybe I was just too busy." The son of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Greene (Aldrich) Rockefeller, he was born on June 12, 1915, in New York City. David Rockefeller was the favorite of his grandfather, the founder of the family fortune - and the grandchild John D. Rockefeller felt was most like himself. Mr. Rockefeller had five siblings: John D. III; Abby; Nelson; Laurance, a pioneering venture capitalist and leading environmentalist; and Winthrop, the two-term governor of Arkansas. All predeceased him. Mr. Rockefeller was considered the "serious" one among his generation of the family. "I don't think I had the typical childhood," he said with characteristic (if also extreme) understatement in the 2002 interview. The nine-floor Rockefeller home was the largest private residence in New York; and his father wore black tie to dinner every evening, his mother a gown. Like many boys, Mr. Rockefeller collected bugs (in his case beetles) - only his collection grew to 2000 species and 150,000 specimens. He was SO serious about the subject that two species are named for him. The family spent summers at Seal Harbor, Maine. There Mr. Rockefeller developed a lifelong love of sailing. In celebration of his 100th birthday, he donated 1,000 acres of adjacent land to the Mount Desert Island & Garden Preserve, as a "gfit to all the people of Maine." Graduating from Harvard in 1936, Mr. Rockefeller did graduate work there with the economist Joseph Schumpeter, then studied with the economist Friedrich von Hayek at the London School of Economics. He earned a doctorate in economics at the University of Chicago in 1940, publishing his dissertation a year later as "Unused Resources and Economic Waste." Mr. Rockefeller spent a year and a half as an unpaid aide to New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, then worked for six months in New York's federal defense preparedness office. Enlisting in the captain. Upon leaving the army, Mr. Rockefeller joined what was then the Chase National Bank; his maternal uncle was chairman. "I didn't want to be given jobs and opportunities because of my name. I wanted to feel that I had done things on my own," he said in 2002. "I think, to a considerable extent, getting a PhD was an indication that I had earned something on my own. Therefore, when I got a job at the bank I didn't have to be embarrassed about it." Mr. Rockefeller rose from assistant manager in the foreign department (starting at $3,500 a year) to assistant cashier to second vice president, then vice president. He became vice chairman in 1957, and chief executive officer and chairman in 1969. He retired in 1981. His first 12 years at the bank he rode the subway to work. During Mr. Rockefeller's chairmanship, Chase was the nation's third largest bank. He emphasized its foreign business, greatly raising its global profile. In 1998, President Clinton awarded Mr. Rockefeller the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Asked in 2002 if being a Rockefeller had been more blessing or burden, he answered without hesitation. "The benefits have far outweighed the disadvantages." Mark Feeney can be reached at imfeeney@globe.com. Stay updated, right in your news feed. 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