Rodman Clark Rockefeller (May 2, 1932 – May 14, 2000) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was a son of former U.S. Vice President

Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

as well as a grandson of American financer

John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in M ...

and a great-grandson of Standard Oil co-founder

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...

Early life

Rockefeller was born on May 2, 1932, in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York. He was the eldest son of former U.S. Vice President

(1908–1979) and his wife Mary Todhunter "Tod" Clark (1908–1999) and was a fourth-generation member of the

Rockefeller family The Rockefeller family () is an American industrial, political, and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brot ...

. Rockefeller attended

Deerfield Academy Deerfield Academy is an elite coeducational preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admis ...

, then his father's '' alma mater'',

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

. At Dartmouth, he was a member of Green Key, co-edited Dartmouth's Freshman Handbook, and was elected to

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

, as had been his grandfather, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Rockefeller later earned a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

's Graduate School of Business Administration.

Career

Rockefeller was vice president from 1968 to 1972 and chief executive from 1972 to 1980 of the International Basic Economy Corporation, a commercial genetics and agribusiness concern based in New York and incorporated by his father in 1946. Its activities, all in Latin America, included developing corn production there and building thousands of low-cost homes in three places in Mexico. He was also chairman of IBEC Inc. a successor concern, from 1980 to 1985, and of Arbor Acres Farm, based in

Glastonbury, Connecticut Glastonbury ( ) is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, formally founded in 1693 and first settled in 1636. It was named after Glastonbury in Somerset, England. Glastonbury is on the banks of the Connecticut River, southeast ...

, a seller of genetic material for poultry

broiler A broiler is any chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') that is bred and raised specifically for meat production. Most commercial broilers reach slaughter weight between four and six weeks of age, although slower growing breeds reach slaught ...

stock, for some years. Rockefeller was co-chairman of the Mexico-United States Business Committee, an organization focusing on economic and political issues of interest to both nations' business communities. The passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the mid-1990s has been called the culmination of his and the committee's efforts. The honors he received included a prestigious Mexican decoration, the

Order of the Aztec Eagle The Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle ( es, Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca) forms part of the Mexican Honours System and is the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners in the country. History It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 ...

. He was on the board of the

Rockefeller Brothers Fund The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) is a philanthropic foundation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was founded in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle for the five third-generation Rockefeller brothe ...

for nine years. For many years, he was a trustee of Rockefeller Financial Services, which manages the family's office (known as "Room 5600"), its investment companies and its many foundations. He was the head of the finance committee of Rockefeller Financial Services for many years and was a longtime trustee of Rockefeller Financial's holding company, Rockefeller & Company. Rockefeller served as chairman of Pocantico Associates, a private capital and real estate investment company. He was also a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to ...

of the

Institute of International Education The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a 501(c) organization which focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. IIE creates programs of study and training for students, educa ...

, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

, the Americas Society, and New York Blood Center.

Personal life

Rockefeller married Barbara Ann Olsen in 1953 and the couple had four children: Meile, Peter, Stuart, and Michael. That marriage ended in divorce in 1979 and he married the former Alexandra von Metzler, known as Sascha, in 1980. His son, Peter C. Rockefeller, is married to Allison Whipple Rockefeller. Rockefeller died at his home on the East Side of Manhattan on May 14, 2000.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockefeller, Rodman Clark Rockefeller family Winthrop family American philanthropists Deerfield Academy alumni 1932 births 2000 deaths Children of vice presidents of the United States Columbia Business School alumni Dartmouth College alumni Clark banking family American people of English descent American people of German descent 20th-century American businesspeople