Laura Celestia Spelman
| Laura Spelman Rockefeller | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Laura Celestia Spelman September 9, 1839 Wadsworth, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | March 12, 1915 (aged 75) Pocantico Hills, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Spouse(s) |
John Davison Rockefeller (m. 1864—1915; her death) |
| Children |
|
| Parent(s) | Harvey Buell Spelman Lucy Henry |
| Relatives | See Rockefeller family |
Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman Rockefeller (September 9, 1839 – March 12, 1915) was an American abolitionist, philanthropist, school teacher, and prominent member of the Rockefeller family. Her husband was Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. She is the namesake of Spelman College, founded to educate black women in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial.
Laura Celestia Spelman was born in Wadsworth, Ohio to Puritan descendant Harvey Buell Spelman (September 15, 1811 – October 11, 1881) and Lucy Henry (February 28, 1818 – September 7, 1897), Yankees who had moved to Ohio from Massachusetts. Harvey was an abolitionist who was active in the Congregationalist Church, the Underground Railroad, and in politics. The Spelmans eventually moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Spelman had an elder adopted sister, Lucy Maria "Lute" Spelman (c. 1837 – February 6, 1920). In Cleveland, Lute and Spelman met John Davison Rockefeller while attending accounting classes together. He was the eldest son of con artist William Avery "Bill" Rockefeller (1810–1906) and Eliza Davison (1813–1889). They had five children; Elizabeth ("Bessie") (August 23, 1866 – November 14, 1906), Alice (July 14, 1869 – August 20, 1870), Alta (April 12, 1871 – June 21, 1962), Edith (August 31, 1872 – August 25, 1932), and John Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960). She later returned to New England to attend Oread Institute, with plans to become a schoolteacher. After returning to Ohio to teach, she married John in 1864. Following her wedding, Spelman remained active in the church (she joined Rockefeller's congregation, the Northern Baptists) and with her family. Once the family business, Standard Oil, began to take off, she further devoted her time to philanthropy and her children.
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