Category:1908 births Category:1979 deaths Category:Businesspeople from Maine Category:Businesspeople from New York City Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in the United States Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:United States Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare Category:Recipients of the Order of the Aztec Eagle Category:Governors of New York Category:Rockefeller family Category:Politicians from New York City Category:Politicians from Maine Category:1960 United States presidential candidates Category:1964 United States presidential candidates Category:1968 United States presidential candidates Category:US Republican Party politicians Category:20th-century American politicians

Nelson Rockefeller
Official portrait, 1975
41st Vice President of the United States
In office
December 19, 1974 – January 20, 1977
PresidentGerald Ford
Preceded byGerald Ford
Succeeded byWalter Mondale
49th Governor of New York
In office
January 1, 1959 – December 18, 1973
LieutenantMalcolm Wilson
Preceded byW. Averell Harriman
Succeeded byMalcolm Wilson
1st Under Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
In office
June 11, 1953 – December 22, 1954
PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byHerold Christian Hunt
1st Assistant Secretary of State for American Republic Affairs
In office
December 20, 1944 – August 17, 1945
PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded bySpruille Braden
Personal details
Born
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller

(1908-07-08)July 8, 1908
Bar Harbor, Maine, U.S.
DiedJanuary 26, 1979(1979-01-26) (aged 70)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Resting placeRockefeller Family Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
(m. 1930; div. 1962)

(m. 1963)
Children7, including Rodman, Steven, Michael, and Mark
ParentsJohn D. Rockefeller Jr.
Abby Aldrich
EducationDartmouth College (BA)
SignatureCursive signature in ink

Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was an American politician and businessman. He was the 41st vice president of the United States from December 1974 to January 1977. Before becoming vice president, he was the 49th governor of New York from 1959 to 1973, and served as assistant secretary of State for American Republic Affairs, as well as under secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.

Before entering politics, he was a businessman. As a businessman, Rockefeller was president and later chair of Rockefeller Center, Inc., and he formed the International Basic Economy Corporation in 1947. He served as trustee, treasurer, and president of the Museum of Modern Art, and founded the Museum of Primitive Art in 1954.

A grandson of billionaire John D. Rockefeller and a member of the wealthy Rockefeller family, he was an art collector and served as administrator of the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, New York City. He was from one of the richest and most powerful families in the United States.

Political career

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He tried three times to gain his party's nomination for the United States presidency but lost to the slightly more conservative Vice President and future President Richard Nixon in 1960 and 1968 and conservative Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona in 1964. He refused to support Goldwater in the general election after losing to him, which Nixon condemned him for and used to argue that Rockefeller was not a loyal Republican.[1]

Vice President, 1974–1977

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When Richard Nixon resigned (quit) as president on August 9, 1974, Vice President Gerald Ford became the president. On August 20, Ford chose Rockefeller to be the next vice president of the United States. He was chosen out of three other people; the other two were Donald Rumsfeld, the then-United States Ambassador to NATO, and George H.W. Bush, the then-chairman of the Republican National Convention (RNC). Bush would later become vice president from 1981 to 1989, and president from 1989 to 1993.[2]

The United States Congress voted to approve Rockefeller to become vice president. On December 10, 1974, the Senate voted 90-7, and on December 19, the House voted 287-128.[3] He became vice president on December 19, 1974. This made him the second person to become vice president under the 25th Amendment—the first being Ford himself.

1976 election

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Gerald Ford faced strong opposition when running for the Republican presidential nomination in 1976. He had a hard time getting support from more conservative Republicans. He also was expecting a challenge from a conservative opponent, Ronald Reagan. As a result, Ford decided to choose a different running mate for the election. In November 1975, Rockefeller decided not to run as Ford's running mate for 1976.[4][5]

Ford was nominated at the 1976 Republican National Convention. Reagan, Barry Goldwater, and other notable conservatives said they would support Ford if he chose a suitable vice presidential nominee. Ford considered several candidates, William Ruckelshaus and Bob Dole. He eventually chose Dole as his running mate.

Rockefeller campaigned actively for the Republican ticket, but Ford lost narrowly to Jimmy Carter.

As of 2020, Ford is the last incumbent president to not have his incumbent vice president as his running mate. Ford later said not choosing Rockefeller was one of his biggest mistakes, and "one of the few cowardly things I did in my life."

Personal life

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His paternal grandfather was John D. Rockefeller Sr. His maternal grandfather was United States Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island. He was the son of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Abby Aldrich. He was Governor of New York from 1959 to 1973. He was the brother of David Rockefeller, chairman of Chase Bank, Winthrop, later Governor of Arkansas, John III, and Laurance. He is the uncle of former Senator John D. Rockefeller IV.

He was married twice. His first was to Mary Todhunter Clark until they divorced. His second was to Margaretta Fitler Murphy until his death from a heart attack.

References

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  1. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  2. "George H. W. Bush". December 29, 2014.
  3. https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/login.php?requested=%2Fcqalmanac%2Fdocument.php%3Fid%3Dcqal74-1223238
  4. "Excerpts From Rockefeller Conference Explaining His Withdrawal; 'Are You Going to Stop' Interests of the People". The New York Times. November 7, 1975. p. 16. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  5. "Mutual Decision: Vice President's Letter Gives No Reason for his Withdrawal". The New York Times. November 4, 1975. p. 73.

Other websites

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  Media related to FD950/sandbox2 at Wikimedia Commons

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