John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Inducted: 2014
Born: 1878
Died: 1960

John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1878-1960, son and heir of the oil magnate, philanthropist, provided land on which the United Nations building is located, donated $6 million to Brown University, his alma mater, for the school’s library. He was married to Abby Aldrich, daughter of U.S. Senator Nelson Aldrich. Their wedding was one of the most lavish of the Gilded Age.

At Brown, Rockefeller joined both the Glee and the Mandolin Clubs, Alpha Delta Phi, Phi Beta Kappa, taught a Bible class and was elected junior class president. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1897. He went on to join his father’s business but was also known for his philanthropy. He was a generous supporter of the arts, providing property for the Museum of Modern Art, founded by his wife. The Rockefellers became involved in the restoration of Williamsburg, Virginia to it’s pre-Revolutionary War glory days and funding for numerous National Parks.

After the death of his wife Abby, John married Martha Baird, the widow of his old college classmate, Arthur Allen. Rockefeller died in May 1960 at the age of 86.

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