J. D. ROCKEFELLER DEAD

Southland Times, Issue 23208, 25 May 1937, Page 7

J. D. ROCKEFELLER DEAD

AMERICAN “OIL KING” AND BENEFACTOR ONCE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received May 24, 6.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 23. The death has occurred of Mr John Davison Rockefeller, sen., at Daytona Beach (Florida) after a series of heart attacks. His physician attributed his death to a hardening of the heart muscles and stated: “He gave no final message and apparently did not realize that he was dying.’’ Mr Rockefeller was 97. Several servants long in his employ stood at the bedside weeping. The news spread late in the morning throughout the city and a throng of men and women gathered at the gates of the estate.

Mr Rockefellei had been more active recently than for many years. He motored daily to an inlet 12 miles distant, where he watched fishermen and

the passage of the shrimping boats. Otherwise his contact with the outside world had been slight and he remained in his closely-guarded estate. The indications are that death came early this morning, when Mr Rockefeller fell into a coma from which he failed to rally. The family physician, Dr H. L. Merryday, said the first heart attack occurred on Friday. Mr Rockefeller’s condition was very much improved on Saturday and he was in excellent spirits. He also talked to the servants, and therefore his son was not called home. A change came at midnight on Saturday while he was talking to his valet and night nurse. The former said that Mr Rockefeller’s death could not have been more peaceful or more beautiful. He passed away as if asleep and so quietly that one could not ask for a more beautiful death.

A private rail car was sent to Florida to bring back Mr Rockefeller’s body. A simple private funeral is planned for Wednesday at the official residence at Pocantico Hills, where Mr Rockefeller had planned to celebrate his 98th birthday in July. The burial will take place on Thursday at Cleveland, beside his wife, in accordance with his wishes. , Immediate members of the family, none of whom were at the bedside because of the unexpectedness of the seizure, are remaining in seclusion at Pocantico Hills. Messages of condolence and tributes are arriving from notable people in all parts of the world. Because of the scope of Mr Rockefeller’s philanthropies it is believed that his estate will prove astonishingly small. He gave more than 530,000,000 dollars to various educational, scientific and religious institutions, and The New York Times estimates his estate at less than 250,000,000 dollars.

John Davison Rockefeller was born in July 1839, in New York State. The family moved to Cleveland (Ohio) where in 1855 he got work as a book keeper. Three years later he went into the produce commission trade and In 1862 he and his partner, Clark, invested in an oil refinery. But Rockefeller soon took his share out and with 72,000 dollars bought a bigger share in another refinery, which became “Rockefeller and Andrews.” This concern kept on absorbing other businesses until in 1870 the Standard Oil Company was formed, with a capital of 1,000,000 dollars, which had increased to 3,500,000 dollars by 1874. Of this firm Rockefeller was president. It gradually obtained practical control of the oil production of America by methods and financial operations which have been the subject of severe criticism. In 1882, to dispel any idea of there being an oil trust, separate companies were organized in every state, but during the anti-trust agitation the Standard Oil Company was violently attacked. Rockefeller retired from active business in 1895. In addition to his staple product he had for a time iron mines and a fleet of ore vessels on Lake Superior, but these he sold to the United States Steel Corporation. At one time his personal wealth exceeded that of any other man; but his benefactions were enormous. They are estimated at over 600,000,000 dollars (£120,000,000 at par). To

make them he drew on his capital and when in 1921 he handed most of the residue of his property to his family, it was estimated at • only 500,000,000 dollars.” To the University of Chicago, which he founded, he gave many millions—as early as 1901 the total was 25,000,000 dollars. Many other institutions received money from him and he founded and financed the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York, to which he gave over £25,000,000. In 1913 the Rockefeller Foundation was inaugurated to "promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world,” and to this vast organization he contributed over 180,000,000 dollars. It concentrated chiefly on medical education and public health measures, combating such diseases as malaria and yellow fever through the International Health Board. The latter in 1917 started the commisson for the prevention of tuberculosis in France, partly as a war measure, just as in 1914 it had established the China Medical Board, from which sprang the Peking Union Medical College. The medical education section of the foundation made large grants to teaching centres in London and Canada and latterly about 70 Fellows from 13 countries were supported. During the war it contributed to various charities. Memorial To Wife The General Education Board was, next to the foundation, Rockefeller’s largest charity, and had about 120,000,000 dollars bestowed on it. This body gave endowments to colleges, usually on condition that these were supplemented by other subscriptions, and a number of universities received large and some of them enormous sums. In memory of his wife (nee Spelman), who died in 1915, the millionaire inaugurated the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Fund in New York, largely to keep up charities for the benefit of needy mothers and children in which she had been interested. To this he contributed 65,000,000 dollars. In 1909 he financed with 1,000,000 dollars a medical commission to investigate diseases caused by the hookworm. The Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, and the Baptist Missionary Society were also among his beneficiaries, for he was a devoted Baptist and gave much to that community. In 1910 a collection at the "Millianaires" Church in Fifth Avenue, New York, for a rebuilding fund resulted in £64,800 being raised in 28 minutes. The rest of the congregation gave £32,400 and on hearing the result Rockefeller wrote a cheque for the same amount. In 1929 he gave 2,000,000 dollars to equip the Mount Wilson Observatory with a giant telescope. His benefactions were free from all restrictions, the trustees having power to dispose of principal as well as interest. At one time after his retirement he used often to visit poor districts incognito to find out what people thought of the "Oil King.” In his eighties he still played a good game of golf, but kept to nine holes a day. His tips bore no relation to his other benefactions. He used to give dimes (sd) to golf caddies and children, of whom he was very fond, but in 1930 reduced his donations to nickels (2’,2d). The distribution of these small coins was a feature of his birthday celebrations at Tarrytown, Nev.- York. His great ambition was to live to be 100. He continued to take an interest in the business and in the Rockefeller Foundation.

Henry Ford owed a great deal to his advice. In his earlier days Rockefeller, who had never met him, used to send him messages through a friend: “Tell Mr Ford to keep strong in cash,” which he did. Thus when financiers thought they would be able to “take Ford over," they found that he had all the ready money he wanted and required no aid.

There were three J. D. Rockefellers—his son, born in 1874, and his grandson, bearing the same names as himself.