John D. Rockefeller Jr. & His Contribution to the World of Art in New York City
The Rockefeller family has been influential for many generations, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. has provided the city of New York, and the world of art, with a wealth of artistic pieces. It was Junior who changed the reputation of the entire family through his generous philanthropic acts and his involvement in social causes. He moved with his family to New York in 1884, when he was just ten years old. In his adult life he would become known for his self determined and subdued spirit, but as a child he suffered greatly from stress related illnesses and soon was plagued with nervous breakdowns that, although he remained successful and functional, would disrupt him for the rest of his life.
He was the youngest of four, the only son in a family of sisters, and although the Rockefellers were quite wealthy, the frugal household demanded that he wear his sister’s hand me down clothing. Once he entered college his life changed. He became aware of social issues that were outside the realm of his own privileged up bringing, and met a woman that changed his life, if not the life of the people of New York, forever. Her name was Abby Aldrich, and she was the daughter of a U.S. senator. She was not taken with the idea of his family’s money, but she was taken with the world of art, and she brought a new vitality to life of John Jr. Once they were married, he had continued to work for the family business, Standard Oil.
But this soon came to an end when he decided in 1910 to quit the business and devote his life to philanthropic causes. Not only does the collection of sculptures at the Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art, owe itself to Rockefellers donations, but he also was involved with, and donated substantial amounts of money, to conservation efforts and organizations, from the Acadia National Park located in Maine to Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. From the city streets to the hallways of the best hotels, New York City was forever changed due to the efforts of this one man. He handed over control of the Rockefeller Center to his 5 sons, and moved far away to the city of Tucson, Arizona where he lived out the rest of he 86 years in peace and the quiet of the desert town.
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