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Critic's Corner
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"Memoirs" is a sweeping portrait of a life that spans the 20th century. It is a study in American history: philanthropy, culture, economics, politics, and the story of a family. If you've ever sung the song "If I Were a Rich Man," with gusto and a bit of personal envy, "Memoirs" is a must read. Few families in America who gained their riches before the IRS came into being retained them afterward. Yet, the Rockefellers did, and now we have the secret as to how this was accomplished. This is the first time a member of this prestigious family has written a biography or memoir, and it is an eye-opener of the best kind. Rockefeller gives the inside story of his family: Grandfather John D. Rockefeller's influence shaped the family for generations to come. David's father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was an emotionally distant man who suffered with feelings of inadequacy and bouts of depression, yet managed to achieve success. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller was gregarious, spontaneous, extremely social and a collector whose passion for art led to the creation of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was Abby who oversaw the day-to-day life of her six children in what was once New York City's largest private residence. Both parents infused their children with a sense of social responsibility, moral duty and philanthropy, and a love of art. I was particularly intrigued with David's take on his Grandfather. According to this grandson, the old gentleman was a deeply religious man, but never judged or condemned others who did not share his beliefs. If you've always thought of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. as a "Robber Baron," think again. This Rockefeller who founded Standard Oil Company actually created the energy business in America. Yes, he was a good business man, and yes, he was stern, but one thing the elder Rockefeller always maintained in his business was a sense of fairness. Surprised? So was I. In these pages you meet a Grandfather who wore the commandments of his religion with ease and even joy. A man who was the least dour man his grandson David has ever known. "He was constantly smiling, joking, and telling shaggy dog stories." A much different picture than the public has ever seen. The Grandfather also set up his own children and grandchildren with trust funds that allowed them to carry forward much of the great wealth he accumulated. "Memoirs" paints an ideal childhood with summers spent in Maine at the family's summer cottage. There are stories of the six children; five brothers and one sister, which reveal the true personalities as only a brother can show. The relationships were not always happy, but the love they bore each other was never in doubt. The activities of David Rockefeller's life that surprised me most included the many world leaders he met through his affiliation with the Chase Manhattan Bank. While an officer with Chase, David had influential contacts with Zhou Enlai, Mikhail Gorbachev, Anwar Sadat, Ariel Sharon, and the Shah of Iran. He also has known every United States president since Dwight Eisenhower, at times serving as an unofficial emissary on high-level missions. This is also the story of the modernization and globalization of Chase bank. David Rockefeller established a direct presence in the rapidly modernizing countries of Latin America and the Pacific Rim, and developing philanthropy and public relations. He is the man who put Chase at the forefront of modern banking. Readers will be fascinated with the story of the beginning of the Rockefeller Center and the Lincoln Center in NYC, as well as the part the family played in creation of the World Trade Center, the founding of Rockefeller University, and preserving the Palisades and building Riverside Church. However, most of all "Memoirs" is the personal story of David Rockefeller himself. The youngest of John D. and Abby Rockefeller's children. He was born in 1915 to a world of vast privilege and wealth. But it is how David used his wealth and family name to good use all over the world — as an ambassador, financier, and philanthropist that make this a memoir of a remarkable life. In closing his story, David, now a vigorous 87 years young, wrote: "Despite my share of disappointments, setbacks, and periods of unhappiness, I have found great satisfaction and enjoyment in life. That has been due primarily to the principles established by my parents and to the nourishing support of my wife, children, and many friends. It has been a wonderful life. David and his late wife, Peggy, passed all they learned of life down to their six children who now embrace their heritage with as much vigor as their parents. And . . . the Rockefeller legacy goes on using its resources to improve the world or at least to change it for the better.
(Jones is a published writer & literary critic) |
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MEMOIRS:
DAVID ROCKEFELLER 
