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Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. A member of the Republican Party and the wealthy Rockefeller family, he was the 49th governor of New York from 1959 to 1973. He was the leader of the moderate faction of his party, known as the Rockefeller Republicans.
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business · Vice President of the United States from 1974 to 1977 · politician · art collector · businessperson · philanthropist · also Nelson Rockefeller, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, Rockefeller
Born 8 July 1908 · Died 26 January 1979 · Q11237
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2026· 4 entries
“It became known that [Rockefeller] had been alone with a young woman who worked for him, in undeniably intimate circumstances, and in the course of that evening had died from a heart attack.”
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“I was trying to do the best I could to save the hostages, save the prisoners, restore order, and preserve our system without undertaking actions which could set a precedent which would go across this country like wildfire.”
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Public attention spiked: 8,214 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.9× the usual 2,119, with 0 article edits.
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2025· 1 entry
Observer: Nelson Rockefeller
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2024· 2 entries
Phys.org: History professor examines Nelson Rockefeller's career as a lens for Republican Party's rightward shift
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Wall Street Journal: ‘Nelson Rockefeller’s Dilemma’ Review: Rocky’s Road
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2017· 2 entries
The Washington Post rated the claim “"The business empire built by President-elect Trump over the years is massive, not dissimilar to the fortunes of Nelson Rockefeller when he became vice president. But at that time, no one was so concerned."” False.
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The New York Daily News stated that following Rockefeller's death, "it wasn't long before Johnny Carson could start drawing laughs merely by uttering the words 'Megan Marshack'
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1979· 2 entries
Family and close friends gathered to inter his ashes in the private Rockefeller family cemetery at the family estate in Pocantico Hills, New York
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Died 1979-01-26.
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1977· 3 entries
Won Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by Gerald Ford (1977).
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Rockefeller founded Nelson Rockefeller Collection, Inc
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And died two years later from a heart attack
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1976· 3 entries
Campaign: 1976 presidential election.
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That he tried to convince Rockefeller to be his running mate in the Democratic Party ticket in 1968 but the latter refused to switch parties
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Given Rockefeller's ability to attract support from constituencies that did not typically support Republicans, including organized labor, African Americans, Hispanics, and city dwellers
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1974· 3 entries
Rockefeller was the second person appointed vice president under the 25th Amendment—the first being Ford himself
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Vice President Gerald Ford assumed the presidency
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Career landmark: Vice President of the United States (1974–1977).
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1973· 2 entries
Rockefeller worked with former Delaware Governor Russell W
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The new drug laws included mandatory life sentences without the possibility of plea-bargaining or parole for all drug users, dealers, and those convicted of drug-related violent crimes; a $1,000 reward for information le
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1972· 1 entry
Vetoed another bill that would have restored the abortion ban
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1971· 3 entries
Prisoners at the state penitentiary at Attica, New York, took control of a cell block and seized thirty-nine correctional officers as hostages
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Of a bill to create the controversial Adirondack Park Agency, which was designed to protect the Adirondack State Park from encroaching development
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Championed the creation of Empire State College to provide higher education to adults by removing impediments to access such as time, location, and institutional processes
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1969· 3 entries
President Nixon commissioned a study to assess the state of Latin America
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When Kissinger entered Richard Nixon's administration, Rockefeller paid him $50,000 as a severance payment
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Gave the museum's collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where it became the Michael C
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1967· 1 entry
Rockefeller won approval of the largest state bond issue at the time ($2
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1966· 1 entry
Rockefeller proposed the construction of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr
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1965· 1 entry
To abolish the death penalty except in cases involving the murder of police officers
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1964· 1 entry
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller Jr. (born 1964), a serial businessman, alumnus of Dartmouth College, married to Amy K.
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1963· 4 entries
Rockefeller married Margaretta Large "Happy" Fitler
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Rockefeller signed legislation abandoning that and establishing a two-stage trial for murder cases with punishment determined in the second stage
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A year after Rockefeller's divorce from his first wife, he married Margaretta "Happy" Murphy, a divorcee with four children, which alienated many Republican married women
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Remains to date the last execution in New York and was the last execution before Furman v
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1962· 4 entries
Awarded Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1962).
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Awarded Commander First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1962).
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Proposed a program of voluntary rehabilitation for addicted convicts rather than prison time
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1966, and 1970, increasing the state's role in education, environmental protection, transportation, housing, welfare, medical aid, civil rights, and the arts
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1961· 1 entry
As Prospect for America: The Rockefeller Panel Reports
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1960· 5 entries
Awarded Commander of the Legion of Honour (1960).
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the White Elephant (1960).
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (1960).
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Awarded Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Dannebrog (1960).
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1964, and 1968, Rockefeller was appointed vice president of the United States by President Gerald Ford in December 1974
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1959· 2 entries
Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II (1959).
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Career landmark: Governor of New York (1959–1973).
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1958· 2 entries
Awarded Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (1958).
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And was re-elected in 1962, 1966, and 1970
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1957· 1 entry
In a townhouse at 15 West 54th Street in New York City
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1956· 3 entries
To focus on New York State and on national politics
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Rockefeller created the Special Studies Project, a major seven-panel planning group directed by Henry Kissinger and funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, of which he was then president
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Frederic Huntington Douglas was named honorary Curator of the American Indian section of the Nelson Rockefeller Museum of Native Arts in New York
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1954· 2 entries
Rockefeller was appointed special assistant to the president for foreign affairs, sometimes referred to as special assistant to the president for psychological warfare
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Established the Museum of Primitive Art devoted to the indigenous art of the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and early Asia and Europe
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1949· 1 entry
Awarded Order of the Aztec Eagle (1949).
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1947· 1 entry
To jointly continue the work he had begun as Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs
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1946· 1 entry
Awarded Order of the Southern Cross (1946).
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1945· 1 entry
Awarded Order of Merit (1945).
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1944· 1 entry
President Roosevelt appointed Rockefeller Assistant Secretary of State for American Republic Affairs
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1940· 3 entries
And his four brothers established the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a philanthropy; he served as a trustee from 1940 to 1975 and 1977 to 1979, and as president in 1956
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After he expressed his concern to President Franklin D
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With his four brothers and established the American International Association for Economic and Social Development in 1946
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1933· 1 entry
Rockefeller was a member of the committee selecting art for the new Rockefeller Center
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1931· 1 entry
Serving as president, 1938–1945 and 1948–1951, and as chairman, 1945–1953 and 1956–1958; and Creole Petroleum Corporation, the Venezuelan subsidiary of Standard Oil of New Jersey, 1935–1940
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1930· 2 entries
Rockefeller married Mary Todhunter Clark, a daughter of Percy Hamilton Clark, a noted cricketer, and Elizabeth Williams Clark (née Roberts), of Germantown, Philadelphia
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Rockefeller worked at various businesses connected to his family
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1908· 1 entry
Born 1908-07-08.
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