John D. Rockefeller Jr. | |
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Rockefeller and his father John D. Rockefeller in 1915
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Born |
John Davison Rockefeller Jr. January 29, 1874 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
Died | May 11, 1960 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
(aged 86)
Alma mater | Brown University (A.B.) |
Occupation | financier, philanthropist |
Spouse(s) |
Abigail Greene Aldrich (m. 1901—1948; her death) Martha Baird (1895-1971) (m. 1951—1960; his death) |
Children | Abigail, John III, Nelson, Laurance, Winthrop, and David |
Parent(s) |
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. Laura Celestia Spelman |
Relatives | Rockefeller family |
Awards | Public Welfare Medal (1943) |
John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist who was a prominent member of the Rockefeller family. He was the only son among the five children of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers. In biographies, he is commonly referred to as "Junior" to distinguish him from his father, "Senior".
Rockefeller was the fifth and last child of Standard Oil co-founder John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (1839–1937) and schoolteacher Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman (1839–1915). His four older sisters were Elizabeth (Bessie) (1866–1906), Alice (who died an infant) (1869–1870), Alta (1871–1962), and Edith (1872–1932). Living in his father's mansion at 4 West 54th Street he attended Park Avenue Baptist Church at 64th Street (now Central Presbyterian Church), and the Browning School, a tutorial establishment set up for him and other children of associates of the family; it was located in a brownstone owned by the Rockefellers, on West 55th Street. His father John Sr. and uncle William Avery Rockefeller Jr. (1841–1922) co-founded Standard Oil together.
Initially he had intended to go to Yale University but was encouraged by William Rainey Harper, president of the University of Chicago, among others, to enter the Baptist-oriented Brown University instead. Nicknamed "Johnny Rock" by his roommates, he joined both the Glee and the Mandolin Clubs, taught a Bible class and was elected junior class president. Scrupulously careful with money, he stood out as different from other rich men's sons.