David Rockefeller is the youngest (and last surviving) of the
Rockefeller brothers (all grandsons of Standard Oil founder John D.
Rockefeller, Sr.). When his brother, Nelson, became Gerald Ford’s
Vice-President in the mid-1970s, he had to submit his
financial records
to public scrutiny. What a golden opportunity that was for anyone
wanting to know more about the financial circumstances of one of the
wealthiest families in the United States!By writing his
autobiography, David Rockefeller has thrown open the gates, inviting
readers to learn more about his famous
family, and him in particular.
He has done what no other Rockefeller ever did before, write and
publish his recollections of his life and times for posterity. Inspired
by Katharine Graham, who had earlier written and published her
autobiography—Personal History—(which, incidentally, won a Pulitzer
Prize), Rockefeller, too, wrote his own story himself (with the
assistance of researchers, who helped him gather factual
information to
complete the telling of his story).Quite candidly, Rockefeller
describes such things as (1) his interactions with his famous
grandfather, (2) his relationship with his parents, (3) his ups and
downs with his brothers,
especially Nelson, (4) his university studies,
(5) how he
met and married his
wife, Peggy, (6) how he and his wife
fared in their marriage, (7) how they handled their five children,
especially during the tumultuous years of the Vietnam war, and (8) his
outlook on life following the death of his wife.Trained as an
economist, he was well-positioned to lead Chase Manhattan Bank to the
forefront of international banking during the glory years of
international trade in the 1960s and 1970s. As chairman of the bank, he
traveled extensively around the world, acquiring new clients and new
business for the financial powerhouse. As a Rockefeller, he had no
difficulty gaining audiences with members of the highest level of
society in countries no matter where. Consequently, he makes references
to people he met and places he’d gone during his travels. It’s no
exaggeration to say that in many places, he was treated as if he were a
head of state or visiting royalty.Although he’s now retired, he keeps busy with many Rockefeller family philanthropic endeavors. His
memoirs make a welcome addition to the archives of materials
chronicling the rise and fall of dynastic family
wealth in the United
States. They are well-written and provide a wealth of information about
several generations of Rockefellers.
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