Avery Rockefeller (September 11, 1903 – May 22, 1986) was an American investment banker and conservationist who was a member of the

Rockefeller family The Rockefeller family () is an American industrial, political, and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brothe ...

Early life

Rockefeller was born on September 11, 1903, to

Percy Avery Rockefeller Percy Avery Rockefeller (February 27, 1878 — September 25, 1934) was a board director who founded and was vice president of Owenoke Corporation. He is the son of American Businessman William Avery Rockefeller Jr. and the nephew of Standard Oil ...

and Isabel Goodrich Stillman. His paternal grandparents were William Avery Rockefeller Jr. and Almira Geraldine Goodsell. His maternal grandfather was

James Jewett Stillman James Jewett Stillman (June 9, 1850 – March 15, 1918) was an American businessman who invested in land, banking, and railroads in New York, Texas, and Mexico. He was chairman of the board of directors of the National City Bank. He forged all ...

(1850–1918), the chairman of the board of directors of the National City Bank. His father's brother,

William Goodsell Rockefeller William Goodsell Rockefeller (May 21, 1870 – November 30, 1922) was a director of the Consolidated Textile Company and a member of the prominent Rockefeller family. Early life He was born on May 21, 1870 in Manhattan, New York City. He was the t ...

(1870–1922), married his mother's sister, Elsie Stillman (1872–1935). He attended

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

, graduating in 1926.

Career

In 1928, Rockefeller joined the storied J. Henry Schroder Banking Corporation and became Assistant Treasurer in 1931. On July 8, 1936, Rockefeller co-founded Schroder, Rockefeller & Co., Inc. Its purpose was to take over the underwriting and general securities business formerly carried out by the J. Henry Schroder Banking Corporation. The firm had a capital of $3,000,000. Its first President, Carlton P. Fuller, was former vice president of the J. Henry Schroder Banking Corporation. The original stock holders were Rockfeller, Fuller, Gerald E. Donovan, John. L. Simpson,

Frederick B. Adams Frederick Baldwin Adams (5 February 187823 October 1961) was an American businessman and philanthropist. Early life Adams was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of a bank cashier. His father had moved to Ohio from New England. Frederick was sent east ...

and the J. Henry Schroder Banking Corporation itself. He served as vice president and later president of Schroder, Rockefeller & Co. In 1961, James E. Madden was appointed as president and Avery Rockefeller was appointed as chairman of the board. Rockefeller retired in 1967 and the company was merged into the J. Henry Schroder Banking Corporation. In 1950, he was elected a director of J. Henry Schroder Banking Corporation, and served until 1970. He was also a director of the Air Reduction Company, the J. Henry Schroder Bank & Trust Company.

Philanthropy

Rockefeller founded the Wild Wings Foundation, a conservation organisation with projects in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

and the

Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular d ...

Personal life

On September 20, 1923, Rockefeller secretly married Anna Griffith Mark (1906–1996), the daughter of

Clayton Mark Clayton Mark (June 30, 1858 – July 7, 1936), one of the pioneer makers of steel pipe in the United States, was an industrialist in the Chicago area who founded the Mark Manufacturing Company in 1888, a firm for the fabrication and sale of water-w ...

(1858–1936), a wealthy steel manufacturer. Following the marriage, the newlyweds eloped, planning to complete their education before telling their parents. However, the arrival of their first child in 1924 forced them to reveal the marriage. By his wife Anna he had three children: * Avery Rockefeller Jr. (1924–1979), who married Lucia Peavy Ewing, daughter of Sherman Ewing, in 1948. * Ann Rockefeller (b. 1926), who married Edward Scales Elliman (1923–2009), son of

Douglas Elliman Douglas Elliman is an American real estate company. Douglas Elliman employs more than 7,000 agents and has 113 offices in New York City and across the country. The company also has a number of subsidiaries related to real estate services such as ...

, president of the same real estate company. * Joan Rockefeller, who married David Hunter McAlpin, Jr., a minister, in 1953. Avery, like his father, had a large collection of jewelry and valuable items. In 1935, Avery's home was looted of jewelry, only a few years after his father's house had been looted. Rockefeller died of a heart attack at his home in

Overhills, North Carolina Overhills is an unincorporated community, North Carolina, unincorporated community located in the Johnsonville Township, Harnett County, North Carolina, Johnsonville Township of Harnett County, North Carolina, Harnett County, North Carolina, Unit ...

on May 22, 1986.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockefeller, Avery 1903 births 1986 deaths People from Manhattan Rockefeller family Yale University alumni