World's Richest Man Passes

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 122, 25 May 1937, Page 7

World's Richest Man Passes

John D. Rockefeller Dies at 97 A PUBLIC BENEFACTOR United Press Association—Bv fcfiectrle Telegraph.—Copyright. NEW YORK, May 23. The death has occurred of John Davidson Rockefeller, senr,, aged 97, at Daytona Beach, Florida, after a series of heart attacks. His physician attributed death to hardening of the heart muscles and stated: “Mr Rockefeller gave no final message and apparently did not realise that he was dying. Several servants, long in Mr Rockefeller’s employ, stood at the bedside, weeping. The news spread late in the morning throughout the city and throngs of men and women gathered at the gates of the estate. Mr Rockefeller had been more active recently than for many years. He motored daily to an inlet twelve miles distant where he watched the fishermen and the passage of shrimping boats. Otherwise his contact with the outside world was slight and he remained in bis closely-guarded estate. Indications are that death came early in the morning, when Mr Rockefeller fell into a coma from which he failed to rally. The family physician, Dr H. L. Merryday, said that the first heart attack occurred on Friday. His condition was very much improved on Saturday and he was in excellent spirits and talked to tho servants. For this reason, Mr Rockefeller, junr., was not called to the home.

A change came nt midnight on Saturday, while Mr Rockefeller wa3 talking in good spirits to Iris valet and the night nurse. The valet said that the death could not have been more peaceful or more beautiful. “He passed away as if asleep, so quiet. One could not aek for a more beautiful death," he said.

The body will bo taken to Tarrytown, New York, and from there it expected that it will be removed to his Cleveland home.

The late Mr .Tohn Davison Rockefeller is reputed to be the wealthiest man in the world. He was born on July 8, 1839, and began business es a clerk in a forwarding and commission house and at tho age of 19 was a partner in the firm of Clark and Rockefeb ler, commission merchants. This firm later became Andrews, Clark and Co,, and engaged in tho oil busings. In 1867 the firm, then Rockefeller, Andrews and Flagler, built the Standard Oil Refinery at Cleveland, Ohio. Branches were opened, and five years later a sombination of firms was formed as the Standard Oil Co. with a capb tal cf £200,000, Mr Rockefeller being president. In 1882 the combine had absorbed or pu (.rivalled nearly all similar concerns in the United States of America, and Mr Rockefeller had become the wealthiest man in the world. He retired from business in 1911, his son, Mr John D. Rockefelle, junr., who was born in 1874, carrying on his father’s activi. ties.

The late Mr Rockefeller gave a great deal of his fortune for charitable and educational, purposes. Up to 1922 he had given more than 500,000,000 dollars for such purposes, of which nearly Pour-fifths had gone to tho great charitable corporations which he had crcatsd, the Rockefeller Foundation, General Education Board, tho Laura Speitnan Rockefeller Memorial and the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.

The last mentioned is perhaps the most well known. Tho donor in 1901 erected and endowed the necessary buildings in.New York at a cost of ESOO.OOO. The institute includes wellequipped laboratories and a large hospital. In 1907 a farm in New Jersey way added for breeding animals for experimental purposes, and a further biological laboratory was opened in Massachusetts in 1911

A notable rule of tho institute is that all discoveries and inventions made by salaried members of the stall must be offered for public benefit. The late Mr Rockefeller was married in 1864 to Laura C. Spelman, who died in 1915. In addition to his son, there *vo two daughters. ENORMOUS BENEFACTIONS REDUCE ESTATE Received Monday, 9.20 p.m. NEW YORK, May 24. A private rail car has been sent to Florida to bring the body of Mr. Rockefeller back. A simple private funeral is planned on Wednesday at the official residence, Pocautico Hills, where he planned to celebrate his 9Sth birthday in July. The burial will take place on Thursday at Cleveland beside his wife in accordance with his wishes. The immediate members of the family, none of whom were at the bedside due to the unexpectedness of tho seizure, are remaining in seclusion at Pocantico Hills. Messages of condolence and tributes are arriving from notable people in all parts of the world due to the scope of his philanthropies. It is believed the estate will prove astonishingly small due to the fact that he has given more than 530,000,000 dollars to various educational, scientific and religious institutions and most of the remainder to his heirs. Tho New York Times estimates the estate at less than 250,000,000 dollars.