Elizabeth "Bessie" Rockefeller (August 23, 1866 – November 14, 1906) was the eldest child of
Standard Oil 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 foll ...
1886–1888.
Strong Hall, the school's first
dormitory, 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 and
psychologist Charles Augustus Strong and had one daughter,
Margaret Rockefeller Strong (1897–1985).
She died on November 14, 1906 at age 40.
Further reading
*Chernow, Ron. ''Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr.'' London: Warner Books, 1998.
*Stasz, Clarice. The Rockefeller Women: Dynasty of Piety, Privacy, and Service. New York: St. Martins Press. (1995).
See also
*
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 brot ...
*
John D. 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 ...
1866 births
1906 deaths
Rockefeller family
Vassar College alumni
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