rin. Hi vP JO fflOOlOBKDSi 1 bl
Jointly worth
half a billion
dollars, the five
grandsons of
John D. are
using this vast
wealth to make
the world a
better place to
live in.
Photo by Philippe Halsman
by Thcodor Irwin
U,
'p on the 56th floor of the
Rockefeller Center's
main edifice, the square
jawed, broad-shouldered, hyper-energetic
millionaire gazed
thoughtfully out the window of
his small, ultramodern office
at the New York panorama
spread out below.
"I'm completely unconscious
of being a Rockefeller," he said
to me. "People may think we're
different, but my brothers and
I maintain that we're all hu
man beings."
That remark, as I chatted
the other day with Nelson Aid
rich Rockefeller, struck me as
the key to the riddle of the
most extraordinary brothers of
their generation. Born under a
silver sword, the five grand
sons John D., 3rd, Nelson,
Winthrop, Laurance, and David
of the world's first billion
aire, once considered a money
making ogre, have emerged
from under the shadow of their
family name to stand on their
own feet as citizens dedicated
to the social good.
Instead of dissipating their
wealth as play boys, the
high-minded, third-generation
Rockefellers have extended
their personal power into al
most every facet of life cul
tural, scientific, religious, eco
nomic, and political. They've
sponsored scores of projects
ranging from neighborhood
improvement to alcoholism,
educational testing, and peace
ful atomic development.
Family Weekly. Augutt 3. 195
.v If' 'j
To pool their thinking, which often goes in five directions at once, Rockefeller brothers meet monthly in their New York headquar
ters. This unusual photo of the five men together shows (I. to r.) Winthrop, 45, Laurance, 47, John, 52, David, 42, and Nelson, 50.
"The responsibilities of
wealth are more important
than ever," Nelson told me.
"As individuals with a tremen
dous opportunity, my brothers
and I exercise our initiative in
assuming those special respon
sibilities to make an original
contribution. That, we feel,
should be the stewardship of
wealth today."
The remarkable diversity of
the Rockefeller team's achieve
ments was recently demon
strated by their far-reaching,
half-million-dollar Special
Studies project. Exploring the
problems and opportunities
confronting this country in the
next 10-15 years, it develops
objectives and concepts based
on our heritage. To apply the
nation's best brains to these
problems, the Rockefeller boys
recruited 250 leading authori
ties in all fields.
The first trail-blazing report
last January, on military se
curity, proposed basic changes
which promptly became sig
nificant parts of the Eisen-hower-McElroy
plan for Pen
tagon reorganization. The sec
ond report in April dealt with
the current recession and of
fered such recommendations as
tax reforms and stepping up
public works. Early in June,
the Rockefeller study on inter
national economic policy point
ed to the changing world scene
and our need to evolve new
ideas. A few weeks later came
the penetrating analysis of
education and manpower,
stressing the full development
of individual capacities and the
roles of parents and the church
in shaping a child's character.
This Fall, the project will issue
roundup reports on "The Dem
ocratic Process" and "U. S.
International Objectives."
These studies, the Rocke
feller quintet believes, repre
sent the essence of democracy.
They feel that every citizen is
concerned with the magnitude
of our problems, anxious to get
the facts interpreted so that
they can intelligently exercise
their own judgment.
"People want to participate
and understand and have a
position on issues," says Nel
son, who originally sparked the
project because he felt Amer
ica was drifting. "Our studies
try to provide the conceptual
frameworks they need. If my
brothers and I can thus help in
some measure, the effort will
be justified."
Such idealism is common to
all five of the Rockefellers. But
beyond this, the family name,
and a boundless energy, all
similarity ends. Their per
sonalities are so different that
probably no one could identify
them in a crowd as brothers.
Each is a distinct individualist,
with ideas and interests of his
own. Each went to a different
college Harvard, Yale, Dart
mouth except John and Laur
ance, who chose Princeton.
John D., 3rd, at 52 the most
conservative and gentlest, is
tall, slender, pipe-smoking, and
withdrawn, works quietly and
prefers others to take public
credit for his accomplishments.
In contrast, Nelson, 50, is
wavy-haired, boyish-looking,
an athletic extrovert with a
buoyant, persuasive manner;
most ambitious member of the
clan, he has the common touch
and likes dealing with people.
Laurance, the third eldest
(he's 47) is lank and sharp
featured, the shrewdest of the
brothers, with the most busi
ness acumen. He's a bold,
hard-driving entrepreneur, an
urbane intellectual sophisticate
who calls himself "Bill" be
cause he considers Laurance a
"sissy" name. Winthrop is a
handsome, hearty, 45-year-old
giant, gregarious and convivial,
who used to frequent cafe so
ciety and once teamed up with
actress Mary Martin to win a
dance contest. The youngest
brother, David, is 42, an aff
able, moon-faced scholar who
received his Ph.D. degree at
the University of Chicago.