The Rockefeller Legacy: Philanthropy and Conservation
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National Park Service Grand Teton U.S. Department of the Interior Grand Teton National Park John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway The Rockefeller Legacy: Philanthropy and Conservation John D. Rockefeller, Sr. & John D. Rockefeller, Jr., 1920 Laurance S. and Mary Rockefeller, 1965 John D. Rockefeller, Jr., 1915 Three Generations John Davison Rockefeller, Sr. was one of the wealthiest people in American history. Even as his wealth grew, he gave a portion of his earnings to various charities. His son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. continued to pursue philanthropic and civic activities including the expansion of Grand Teton National Park. A third Rockefeller generation, known as “the Brothers,” visited the Yellowstone and Jackson Hole area as children. Laurance S. Rockefeller donated the family retreat to Grand Teton National Park in 2007 fulflling his father’s vision for this land. John Davison John Davison Rockefeller, Sr. (1839-1937) was once His funding advanced public health and medical Rockefeller, Sr. one of the most powerful men in America. He research, and promoted education “without started Standard Oil Company in 1870 and ran it the distinction of race, sex, or creed” including until 1896. Even as a young man, Rockefeller gave establishing the University of Chicago. In 1913, part of his earnings to his church and charities. he established the Rockefeller Foundation “to After retirement, he focused on philanthropy with promote the well-being of mankind around the the same intensity he brought to his business. world.” John D. Rockefeller, Jr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960) graduated from Rockefeller including the desire to preserve the Brown University in 1897 and went to work for his valley as a “museum on the hoof.” Dismayed by father. Rather than focus on business, Rockefeller, the haphazard development marring the Teton Jr. believed in stewardship and put his energy into landscape, Rockefeller began to purchase land in the family’s civic and philanthropic eforts. 1928 through the Snake River Land Company with the vision of protecting not only the views of the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. frst visited Yellowstone Teton Range but also public access to the area. in 1886 as a 12 year-old. In 1924, he toured Yellowstone and Jackson Hole with his three In 1950 after a long bitter struggle, Congress oldest sons, and returned two years later with his combined Jackson Hole National Monument wife and three youngest sons. Horace Albright, (1943), the original Grand Teton National Park Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, (1929) with the 32,000 acres that Rockefeller accompanied the family on both trips. In 1926, donated to forever preserve and protect this Albright discussed the Jackson Hole Plan with magnifcent landscape. Laurance S. Rockefeller Laurance S. Rockefeller (1910 – 2004) was Laurance’s philanthropy to Grand Teton National profoundly infuenced by his boyhood trips to Park culminated in 2007 with the transfer of the Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole. family retreat at the old JY Ranch to the park to These experiences led to his becoming a leader establish the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve in conservation of natural areas. His company, complete with visitor center and trail system. Rockresorts, developed the visitor facilities at This donation embodied his belief that managing Jackson Lake Lodge and Colter Bay in Grand natural areas requires a careful balance between Teton National Park. A family foundation donated preservation and access providing for the power the Vernon Collection of Indian Arts. of nature to restore the human spirit. National Park Units that beneftted from the Rockefeller family’s philanthropy • Acadia National Park • Great Smoky Mountains National Park • National Capital Parks • Blue Ridge Parkway • Haleakala National Park • Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site • Crater Lake National Park • Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve • Redwood National and State Parks • George Washington Birthplace • Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park • Shenandoah National Park National Monument • Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National • Virgin Islands National Park • Grand Canyon National Park Historical Park • Yellowstone National Park • Grand Teton National Park • Mesa Verde National Park • Yosemite National Park The Rockefeller Family Tree John Davison Rockefeller, Sr. Laura Spelman Rockefeller 1839–1937 1839–1915 Married September 8, 1864 Married August 15, 1951 Bessie Rockefeller Alta Rockefeller John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Martha Baird Rockefeller 1866–1906 1871–1962 1874–1960 1895–1971 Alice Rockefeller Edith Rockefeller 1869–1870 1872–1932 Married Abby Aldrich Rockefeller October 9, 1901 1874–1948 Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Nelson Rockefeller Winthrop Rockefeller 1903–1976 1908–1979 1912–1973 John D. Rockefeller III Laurance S. Rockefeller David Rockefeller 1906–1978 1910–2004 1915–2017 Married Mary French Rockefeller August 15, 1934 1910–1997 Laura Spelman Rockefeller Chasin Dr. Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky 1936–2015 1941– Marion French Rockefeller Laurance “Larry” S. Rockefeller, Jr. 1938– 1944– John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. “The Teton Mountains are, to my way of thinking, quite the grandest and most spectacular (1874-1960) mountains I have ever seen. When viewed over the vast expanse of sagebrush which covers Johnthe Davison valley or Rockefeller, with Jackson Lake Jr. and(1874-1960) the marshes in the foreground, they present a picture of ever-changing beauty which is to me beyond compare.” 1926 Funded the Yavapai Observation Station at Grand Canyon NP 1940 1926 Formed Jackson Hole Visited Yellowstone NP Preserve, Inc. to fund & Jackson Hole with sons conservation projects Laurance, Winthrop & David 1930 1886 1926 Provided $1.7 million to 1950 Visited Yellowstone 1923 Gifted $160,000 prevent logging 15,000 Donated land accepted NP as a 12 year-old Funded a new museum in toward establishment acres of forest near by federal government to boy with his family Yosemite Valley of Shenandoah NP Yosemite NP expand Grand Teton NP 1916 1924 1928 Donated 2,700 acres to Visited Yellowstone, Matched funds raised help establish Acadia NP Glacier, Mesa Verde NPs by states to form Great and Jackson Hole with Smoky Mountains NP sons John III, Nelson and 1917-1933 Laurance 1927 1928-1931 Financed and engineered Formed Snake River Funded four museums in carriage roads through 1924 Land Co. to purchase Yellowstone NP: Old Faithful, Acadia NP Contributed to Mesa Verde land in Jackson Hole Fishing Bridge, Norris, Madison NP museum project 1924 Funded pilot project for Yellowstone NP roadside cleanup Laurance Spelman Rockefeller (1910-2004) Laurance Spelman Rockefeller “How we treat our land, how we build upon it, how we act toward our air and water will (1910-2004) in the long run tell what kind of people we really are.” 1972 1965 Donated the Vernon 2001 1940 Chairman of White House Indian Arts Collection 1991 Announced intent to Headed1890 Jackson Hole 1900 Conference on Natural1910 and funded1920 a museum 1930Awarded the donate1940 final 1,106 acres 1950 Preserve, Inc. formerly the Beauty, marking the start of at Colter Bay in Grand Congressional for LSR Preserve within Snake River Land Co. a new conservation era Teton NP Gold Medal Grand Teton NP 1956 Provided funds for 5,000 1990 1992 2007 acres of land for Virgin Donated over 2,000 Collaborated with wife Final 1,106 acres transferred Islands NP acres from the JY Mary to donate her ancestral to Grand Teton NP for Ranch to Grand home to establish Vermont’s LSR Preserve 1952 1956 Teton NP through first national park: Marsh Funded development of Founded the environmentally Sloan-Kettering Billings Rockefeller National Jackson Lake Lodge and sensitive Rockresorts to provide Foundation. Historical Park Colter Bay facilities in recreation and Grand Teton NP self-renewal for guests EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA™ revised 8/2017 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010.