Elizabeth "Bessie" Rockefeller (August 23, 1866 – November 14, 1906) was the eldest child of

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

co-founder

John Davison Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...

(1839–1937) and school teacher Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman (1839–1915). Bessie Rockefeller was a special student at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

1886–1888. Strong Hall, the school's first

dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

, was named in honor of Bessie in 1893 by her father who contributed $35,000 toward the expense of the construction. On March 22, 1889, she married

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

and

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...

Charles Augustus Strong and had one daughter,

Margaret Rockefeller Strong Margaret Rockefeller Strong (1897–1985) was an American heiress. She was the daughter of Elizabeth "Bessie" Rockefeller (1866–1906) and Dr. Charles Augustus Strong (1862–1940). Her maternal grandfather was Standard Oil co-founder John D ...

(1897–1985). She died on November 14, 1906 at age 40.

Further reading

See also