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Name: On His Own Terms
Rating: 4.1 (20 reviews)
Author: Richard Norton Smith

Richard Norton Smith

A Life of Nelson Rockefeller

4.1 (20 ratings)

36 mins

Brief summary

On His Own Terms by Richard Norton Smith is a biography of Nelson Rockefeller, the governor of New York and Vice President of the US. It explores his life, political career and relationships, providing insights into his personality and legacy.

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Wealth Memoirs Political Figures

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On His Own Terms
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What’s in it for me? Get to know one of the most influential public figures in twentieth-century American history.

Particularly in the United States, the name Rockefeller has become synonymous with industry and wealth, but also with philanthropy and public buildings. All over the country, schools, libraries and research institutions bear this prestigious name.

The foundation for the family empire was Standard Oil – the world’s largest oil refiner at the time and one of the world's first multinational corporations. With it, the Rockefeller family rose to prominence and infamy at the end of the nineteenth century and dominated the business landscape of the first half of the twentieth century.

With such an esteemed last name, it’s often easy to look past the very individuals who carry it. These blinks will focus on the life of Nelson Rockefeller, the successful businessman, philanthropist, Republican and – perhaps above all else – restless, devoted worker, who carried his family name into the latter half of the twentieth century and left an indelible mark on American politics.

In these blinks, you’ll find out

how Rockefeller’s interest in Latin America shaped US foreign policy;
which international institution’s headquarters Rockefeller brought to New York City; and
how Rockefeller’s policies as governor of New York would have a lasting impact.

Nelson Rockefeller was born into an extraordinarily wealthy family, but experienced his share of struggles as well.

You’ve likely heard of John D. Rockefeller Sr., the famous American oil tycoon and often considered the wealthiest person in modern history. But have you heard the name Nelson Rockefeller?

Born on July 8th, 1909, the third child of Abby and John D. Rockefeller Jr., Nelson was the grandson of John Sr. who, along with his brother, William Avery Rockefeller Jr., founded Standard Oil, one of the largest oil companies in the world.

William Avery Rockefeller Sr., Nelson’s great-grandfather, was a scoundrel and a con man. He earned a living by traveling the country peddling fake pharmaceuticals, a practice that earned him the nickname “Devil Bill.”

But Nelson’s father, John D. Rockefeller Jr., took a different tack, spending much of his life, and the family’s money, on philanthropic projects. He passed this passion onto his children, and Nelson, in particular, would inherit his father’s devotion to improving the world. But Nelson had another thing going for him: the creative business instincts of generations of Rockefellers before him.

While he came from a very privileged background, Nelson’s life was not always one of ease and comfort. He struggled with a learning disability that would affect him until his death.

While growing up, it became clear that Nelson suffered from dyslexia, which made his schoolwork extremely difficult. Fortunately, he had a team of fantastic tutors and was enrolled in the Lincoln School, a progressive educational institution that let students build their own courses and learn by doing. For instance, if a child was obsessed with boating, they could use their passion to learn about geography, history, music and literature.

It was as a result of this supportive environment that Nelson managed to make his way through school, excelling in math, science and biology. He also proved to have boundless energy and an attention-seeking personality.

While his disability left him with grades that were just average, his marks were still good enough to get him into Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. There he earned the lifelong nickname “Rocky” and developed his passions for photography, art and architecture.

Rockefeller applied his passion for art to his work at MOMA and the Rockefeller Center.

Toward the end of his time in university, Nelson tied the knot with his longtime sweetheart, Mary Todhunter Clark. The newlyweds then embarked on a ten-month, around-the-world honeymoon.

Upon returning from this trip, in April of 1931, Nelson began helping his mother, Abby, establish the Museum of Modern Art, or MOMA, in New York City. This role was perfect for him as Nelson, inspired by his mother, had grown up with a passion for art.

An ambitious South American project landed Nelson his first job in politics.

By 1934, Nelson had fathered two children and was proving to have a natural gift for business. Nelson’s father happily rewarded his son’s emerging talent with $3.2 million worth of stock in a Standard Oil subsidiary called the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, shortly before opening a $12-million trust fund for all his sons.

With this capital in hand, Nelson jumped into action, thinking of business projects that would pair the love of art he had inherited from his mother with the philanthropic drive instilled in him by his father. This search led him on a path to revitalizing the economies of South America.

Nelson’s status in Washington rose as the United States entered World War II and the United Nations was formed.

While Nelson and the Rockefeller family had long supported the Republican party, Nelson was a great admirer of the Democratic president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose problem-solving abilities he respected immensely. It was also thanks to FDR that Nelson was beginning his career as CIAA and, since he held this position during World War II, the scope of his work would grow to be quite extensive.

As the United States entered World War II, the nation passed a “good neighbor” policy toward Latin America, and Nelson’s importance grew.

After the war, Nelson combined his knack for business with his passion for overseas economic development.

When FDR passed away in 1945, Vice President Harry Truman took office, and the establishment of this new administration left Nelson out of a job. So, he simply picked up where he had once left off, stepping in as president of the Rockefeller Center and securing MOMA a place at the core of New York’s art world.

But he didn’t just throw away all the hard work he had put into establishing connections in South America; instead, he went to work establishing a business that would function like a charitable organization.

After helping bring the UN to New York City, Nelson jumped back into politics with a position in the Truman administration.

Although he was frustrated by the problems he encountered in his philanthropic work, there was a bright spot for Nelson during this period – an event that would remind everyone of his impressive political power.

It happened in 1946 when Nelson received a tip that his hometown of New York City was in the running to headquarter the United Nations, competing against Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco. Invigorated by the news, Nelson had found exactly the type of challenge on which he thrived; the UN bid was a problem in need of a solution and he was determined to be the man to find it.

During the Cold War, Nelson faced Republican opposition but made a lasting impression through a key research project.

Throughout Nelson’s political career, the Republican party would shift to the right, straying further and further from the ideals of the progressive-minded party once led by Abraham Lincoln. Because of this ideological turn, Nelson’s disputes with certain Republican leaders worsened during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Things were so strained that, when Truman left office, he advised Rockefeller to switch allegiances and join the Democratic party. But Nelson chose to remain a loyal Republican.

Nelson became governor of New York and, if not for pushback from the Republican establishment, might have been president.

Following the Special Studies Project, Nelson went back to being a private citizen. But not for long. Although he had been working hard to prevent the Brooklyn Dodgers from moving to Los Angeles, his focus quickly changed when it became clear that he had much higher approval ratings than any of the candidates running for governor of New York.

In fact, no other American politician appealed to such a broad range of people quite like Nelson Rockefeller did. He threw his hat in the ring and, in the 1958 race for governor of New York, Nelson ran a vigorous campaign across the state. He traveled 8,500 miles, gave 135 speeches and shook hands with some 100,000 people.

Nelson faced the deaths of many people close to him, a scandalous divorce and the tragic loss of his son.

As 1960 began, Nelson lost the Republican nomination to Nixon. But that wasn’t the only loss he suffered that year.

In the first two months of 1960, his press secretary died, along with his friend and advisor, Frank Jamieson. After that, Nelson’s father, the legendary John D. Rockefeller Jr., passed away on May 11, 1960 – and that was just the beginning of what would be a heartbreaking series of events.

In another race for president, Nelson faced the immense challenge of political extremism.

The political climate in the United States had been fraught for decades, but the 1960s saw more discord than ever before. A perfect example of this schism is that, in June of 1961, while the Republican Party chairman was hosting a whites-only dinner in Mississippi, Nelson Rockefeller was hosting Martin Luther King Jr. for dinner at his home.

In fact, Rockefeller had always been a strong proponent of civil rights, even while his fellow Republicans were courting Southern white voters and growing more extreme by the day. As a result of this climate, during the 60s, there were a number of extremist right-wing political organizations, including the Conservative Party, the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade and the notorious John Birch Society, a group so extreme that it branded former president and World War II commander Dwight Eisenhower a communist agent.

As governor of New York, Nelson made many notable and enduring changes.

After the Democrats won the presidency in 1960 and again in 1964, many Republicans were eager to blame Nelson for the party’s lack of unity, as he had rejected the party’s rising conservative and extremist bent. At the same time, Nelson was facing opposition as governor of New York, but through skillful leadership, he managed to put plenty of ambitious and progressive plans into action.

For instance, when Rockefeller was elected governor, the New York education system was a mess, ranking next to last in polls on US higher education. Nelson worked hard to secure more money for the State University of New York, or SUNY, and created more community colleges, along with the City University of New York. By 1973, SUNY was the largest university system in the world, with 64 campuses and a quarter of a million students.

Nelson had serious trouble working with NYC mayor John Lindsay but found ways to get along with President Richard Nixon.

Nelson was making some highly unorthodox maneuvers within the Republican party, and his tactics were rapidly antagonizing his fellow politicians, especially the mayor of New York City, John Lindsay.

Lindsay had been elected mayor in 1966 as a brash, young politician who was dead set on doing things his way. In many ways, he was like Nelson at the beginning of his career. But the relationship between the two men got off on the wrong foot as a fierce budget battle erupted.

During his final term, Nelson lost much of his political goodwill through a few bad moves.

Over the course of Nelson’s term in office, New York State transformed dramatically, and his response to the new cultural climate would eventually cast a dark shadow over much of his legacy.

For instance, Nelson tended to be considered too liberal for Republicans and too conservative for Democrats, but he was also a pragmatist who took in the facts of a situation and responded accordingly. Since the economy was in much worse shape in 1970 than it was in 1960, Rockefeller employed more conservative policies during his final term.

As vice president, a frustrated Nelson Rockefeller clashed with Gerald Ford’s staff and Republican Party leaders.

A crisis of a different kind came right on the heels of the Attica tragedy, and one that would destroy the administration of President Richard Nixon: the Watergate scandal. In the aftermath, Gerald Ford would become the new president of the United States – and he needed a vice president.

Ford reached out to Nelson and, going against the advice of some of his closest advisors, Rockefeller accepted Ford’s invitation. Many of those close to Nelson argued against this decision, since they knew he didn’t have the right personality or temperament for the job. Truth be told, they were right.

Nelson Rockefeller’s death was a strange and controversial affair.

Nelson’s rocky time as VP meant he was excluded from the Republican ticket in 1976. In that year’s election, the Democrats, led by Jimmy Carter, took back the White House and Rockefeller went back to living as a private citizen for the first time since the 50s.

During this time, Nelson invested his energy in organizing the charitable Rockefeller Brothers Fund along with his siblings. Then, in 1980, as he was beginning work on a series of art books, he died under rather odd circumstances.

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What is On His Own Terms about?

On His Own Terms (2014) tells the remarkable life story of Nelson Rockefeller, who used his family’s notoriety and wealth to change the world for the better. These blinks walk you through Nelson’s life, from his involvement in the family oil business to his extended career in politics.

Best quote from On His Own Terms

Hes impossible not to like. - Hall of Fame baseball player Jackie Robinson on Rockefeller

—Richard Norton Smith

Who should read On His Own Terms?

Students of history and politics
Readers who love a good biography

About the Author

Richard Norton Smith is a critically acclaimed biographer and frequent contributor to both PBS and ABC News. He has served as director for a number of presidential libraries, including those dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower.

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