He was also a confidant of world leaders, from Deng Xiaoping in China to Nelson Mandela in South Africa, from the shah of Iran to Henry Kissinger. Rockefeller famously asked President Jimmy Carter to let the deposed shah come to the U.S. for medical treatment, leading to the seizure of American hostages in Tehran from 1979 to 1981.
Rockefeller was equally well known for his philanthropy. In 2006, he bequeathed $225 million to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which he and his brothers established in 1940 to promote social change worldwide. The year before, he donated $100 million each to two New York institutions: the Museum of Modern Art, which was co-founded by his mother, and Rockefeller University, a medical-research school started by his grandfather.
“No individual has contributed more to the commercial and civic life of New York City over a longer period of time than David Rockefeller,” former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement. “During my time in City Hall, he was always there for the city when we called,” said Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.
In 2008 Rockefeller gave $100 million to his alma mater, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Rockefeller attended Harvard and later served on its Board Of Overseers from 1954-1968, perfectly coinciding with the Ivy heyday.
Speaking of which, his son David Jr. naturally attended Harvard as well, and during the heyday. He was a member of the school’s oldest a cappella group, the Krokodiloes. David Jr. is currently 75; the last Wikipedia entry for him indicates he was remarried in 2008. — CC
Many decades ago, when I was starting out in the corporate world, I sat next to David Rockerfeller on a plane to some forgotten destination. He showed me his alphabetically filed note book in which he recorded personal facts about people he had met in his travels and to which he would refer before his next meeting. They then would marvel at his memory. He laughed and said his memory was no better than average and that he would be lost without his notebook. This was way before portable computers were around. I copied this system and carried a leather notebook with info about customers and other people in my life for well over fifty years.
Met Steve, Nelson’s grandson when he golfed with my father, completely unpretentious and overall great guy, as was his son who was about my age at the time. Not sure if David was the same type in person, but his deeds reflect well on him and his family. May he rest in peace.
Having a lot of wealth and then spending it to try to derail exactly the kind of business operations and ventures that made your family all of its money in the first place is not only intentionally ignorant but it is an affront to all hard working people who maintain American values. Glad he is gone and I am quite sure he has a lot to answer for when he gets on his way to the afterlife.
A Truly GREAT citizen of the USA. His enthusiastic support of capitalism was impressive in the “hippie” days of the 60s and 70s. Naturally his philanthropic accomplishments defined him as the last of the Rockefeller Brothers. Overall the World is a better place because of DR’s presence in so many activities. May he Rest In Peace.
Vern Trotter
It’s called a stud book. Most corporations and political organisation had them. First time I saw one was on a corporate jet in the 1970s, it was part of an onboard library. A book for every office and plant with photos and brief personal history of employees down to machine operators. Workers were so impressed with the fact that corporate officers would remember them while touring a plant.
I didn’t think anyone else here would know it was called a stud book. A little different tho than on the personnel comments I would keep record on employee files or official corporate activity reports. Many things I would write longhand in my own notebook that I would not record officially.
Those groups certainly lean left but all have had conservative members also; I have known some. I myself am an apostle of Buckley, Goldwater and Reagan and currently am on the New York County Republican Committee. I would not call David evil but will stick with “Rockefeller Republican.” That is bad enough.
Many decades ago, when I was starting out in the corporate world, I sat next to David Rockerfeller on a plane to some forgotten destination. He showed me his alphabetically filed note book in which he recorded personal facts about people he had met in his travels and to which he would refer before his next meeting. They then would marvel at his memory. He laughed and said his memory was no better than average and that he would be lost without his notebook. This was way before portable computers were around. I copied this system and carried a leather notebook with info about customers and other people in my life for well over fifty years.
Met Steve, Nelson’s grandson when he golfed with my father, completely unpretentious and overall great guy, as was his son who was about my age at the time. Not sure if David was the same type in person, but his deeds reflect well on him and his family. May he rest in peace.
Come to think of it…Steve III is probably still about my age…
Having a lot of wealth and then spending it to try to derail exactly the kind of business operations and ventures that made your family all of its money in the first place is not only intentionally ignorant but it is an affront to all hard working people who maintain American values. Glad he is gone and I am quite sure he has a lot to answer for when he gets on his way to the afterlife.
A titan and, most importantly, a true Westechesterite. May he Rest In Peace.
A Truly GREAT citizen of the USA. His enthusiastic support of capitalism was impressive in the “hippie” days of the 60s and 70s. Naturally his philanthropic accomplishments defined him as the last of the Rockefeller Brothers. Overall the World is a better place because of DR’s presence in so many activities. May he Rest In Peace.
Vern Trotter
It’s called a stud book. Most corporations and political organisation had them. First time I saw one was on a corporate jet in the 1970s, it was part of an onboard library. A book for every office and plant with photos and brief personal history of employees down to machine operators. Workers were so impressed with the fact that corporate officers would remember them while touring a plant.
Mac McConnell,
I didn’t think anyone else here would know it was called a stud book. A little different tho than on the personnel comments I would keep record on employee files or official corporate activity reports. Many things I would write longhand in my own notebook that I would not record officially.
Another evil globalist bites the dust. Heil Trump.
Evil?
CFR, Trilateral Commission, Bilderberg, Bohemian Grove
Mazama,
Those groups certainly lean left but all have had conservative members also; I have known some. I myself am an apostle of Buckley, Goldwater and Reagan and currently am on the New York County Republican Committee. I would not call David evil but will stick with “Rockefeller Republican.” That is bad enough.