JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER:CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY OR ROBBER BARON

Rania Elmrini, Alicia

Cradle

and Marilyn Tenecela

AN INTRODUCTION TO JOHN D ROCKEFELLER

John D Rockefeller was a natural businessman with a strong moral sense and intense

religious convictions in which later on in his life he dedicated unmatched wealth to charity.

Within his lifetime, Rockefeller helped launch the field of biomedical research, funding

scientific investigations that resulted in vaccines for things like meningitis and yellow fever.

He revolutionized medical training in the United States, and built China’s first proper

medical school.

He championed the cause of public sanitation, creating schools of public health at Johns

Hopkins and Harvard, and helped lead major international public health efforts against

hookworm, malaria, yellow fever, and other maladies.

He vigorously promoted the cause of education nationwide, without distinction of sex,

race, or creed.

PHILANTHROPIC ASPECTS

Mr. Rockefeller's benefactions from 1855 to 1934 totaled $530,853,632, of which the

larger amount went to the four great foundations he established for the purpose of

managing his charities.

They were the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, the Rockefeller Foundation, the

Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, in memory of his wife, and the General Education

Board. The University of Chicago was another large beneficiary.

Rockefeller was chiefly interested in education, scientific research, the Baptist Church and

other religious or social organizations. His chief agency of distribution was the Rockefeller

Foundation, established in 1913 with a $100,000,000 capital fund, later increased by

$25,000,000 in 1917. It received up to 1934 from Mr. Rockefeller $182,851,480.90. This

organization was formed "to promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world."

PHILANTHROPIC ASPECTS

Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research - In 1901,

Rockefeller created an organization to study the cause and

prevention of disease. Later known as Rockefeller University.

Rockefeller University is country’s first institution devoted

exclusively to biomedical research.

PHILANTHROPIC ASPECTS

General Education Board - 1902, the GEB supported a wide variety of

educational improvements, concentrating attention on medical schools and the

improvement of public education in the South. Before it was phased out in 1965,

the GEB distributed more than $300 million. Rockefeller once quoted that the

GEB was for “the promotion of education within the United States of America,

without distinction of race, sex, or creed.” Rockefeller made an initial obligation

of $1 million to the organization, but his contributions quickly grew to $43

million by 1907. The total of these donations marked, at the time, made GEB the

largest gift to a philanthropic organization in the history of the United States.

PHILANTHROPIC ASPECTS

Rockefeller Sanitary Commission Established

- 1909 to address the problem of hookworm disease,

the Commission mounted massive educational

campaigns in the South. Later, efforts were launched

overseas before the organization was closed in 1915.

PHILANTHROPIC ASPECTS

The Rockefeller Foundation - The Foundation provided funding

for public health, medical schools, famine prevention, the social

sciences, the arts and many other endeavors. Outstanding

contributions in the form of funds, research, and fieldwork were

made by the foundation in the battle against hookworm, malaria,

yellow fever, and other diseases throughout the world. The

Rockefeller Foundation remains one of the world's leading

philanthropic forces today.

PHILANTHROPIC ASPECTS

Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial - John D. Rockefeller, Sr. founded the

Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial in October 1918 in memory of his wife. The

State of New York incorporated the Memorial for general philanthropic purposes.

During the early years, the Memorial gave support to the Young Men's Christian

Association, the Young Women's Christian Association, the Boy Scouts, and the Girl

Scouts. Considerable contributions from the Memorial supported organized

emergency relief efforts in China and Europe. In the early twenties, the Memorial

appropriated $785,000 to the American Relief Administration and to its affiliate, the

Student Friendship Fund for food and clothing for teachers and students in Russian

universities.

PHILANTHROPIC ASPECTS

University of Chicago - Rockefeller instituted the challenge

grant approach to establish what was initially a Baptist institution of

higher learning. He offered to make a large donation if a similar

amount could be raised from other sources within a certain time

frame; he favored this approach because it demonstrated a base of

support for a project and he would turn to this form of philanthropy

many times over the years. Rockefeller was also a generous

benefactor of Columbia, Harvard, Spelman, and Yale.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion it’s obvious that though many of Rockefeller’s means in

creating his capital were questionable and slightly immoral he was still a

giving humanitarian who gave back to the world through both money and

through his ability to make petroleum affordable to all classes of society.

Rockefeller gave away nearly half of his fortune before his death. Churches,

medical foundations, universities, and centers for the arts received hefty

sums of oil money. Whether he was driven by good will, conscience, or his

devout faith in God is unknown. Regardless, he became a hero to many

enterprising Americans.