The Office of the Messrs. Rockefeller (OMR) materials document the increasing role assumed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the management of Rockefeller affairs and amply document his business and philanthropic affairs. They also chronicle the entrance of JDR Jr.'s sons, John D. 3rd, Nelson A., Laurance S., Winthrop, and David, into the world of business, philanthropy, civic leadership, and politics as they joined the office.
The Housing Files comprise 8 cubic feet of material covering the years 1896-1962. The bulk of the material relates to John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s activities in the housing field during the 1920s and 1930s. However, there are significant sections which detail the interests of Mr. Rockefeller, Sr. in Cleveland and New York City, and David Rockefeller in the Morningside Heights project. A few scattered files cover the activities of Messrs. John, Nelson, and Laurance Rockefeller in this field. Substantively, these files deal with Mr. Rockefeller, Jr.'s involvement with housing reform and housing projects during two distinct time periods: the period of great optimism and activity during the 1920s, and the period of destabilization and disengagement from the field after the coming of the New Deal and into the 1940s.
The Homes series documents the management of four of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.'s and John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s estates and their New York City homes. The estates are Ormond Beach, Florida; Lakewood, New Jersey; Pocantico Hills, New York; and Seal Harbor, Maine. The New York City homes are 4, 10, and 12 West 54th Street and the apartment at 740 Park Avenue. There is also information regarding John D. Rockefeller 3rd's apartment at One Beekman Place. Most of the material deals with property purchases, employees, the construction of homes, out buildings, and private roads, relations with neighbors and local communities, the contents of the houses (particularly art collections), and the general maintenance and operation of the various homes. The correspondence is between members of the family and the family office on the one hand, and estate managers, employees, contractors, real estate agents, neighbors, members of the various communities, and art dealers on the other.
The Cultural Interests series reflects the Rockefeller family's involvement and contributions in the areas of the arts, museums, parks, and historic restorations. The series contains correspondence between members of the Rockefeller family and the Family Office Staff on the one hand, and officials and members of the various institutions and organizations on the other. Most of the material concerns unsolicited appeals for donations. Some members of the family were also members of or were active in several of the organizations, and some of the correspondence reflects this activity.
The International Health Board of the Rockefeller Foundation maintained an office in Paris from 1917 as the headquarters for the work of the Commission for the Prevention of Tuberculosis in France. In 1922, anticipating the transfer of the tuberculosis work to the French, and the expansion of work in Europe, the Board agreed to share space and administrative expenses with the Rockefeller Foundation's Division of Medical Education. The Nursing Survey of the IHB was to be carried on from the same location. Other administrative units of the Foundation concerned with work in Europe used the same office.
The New Delhi Field Office records (RG 6.7) of the Rockefeller Foundation Archives document the operation of the office and the programs it administered in the medical, agricultural, and social sciences. The records span the dates 1935 to 1976, but 90% of the record group dates from the period 1956 to 1973 and relates to the Indian Agricultural Program (IAP), operated by the RF's Natural Sciences and Agriculture Division. The IAP records provide a comprehensive account of the RF's role in establishing an international collaborative program of technical assistance. They also constitute an important source for the study of the history of modern agriculture and agricultural education in India.
The records include correspondence, conference proceedings, financial materials, annual reports, fellowships material, officers diaries, and personnel records.
Types of record include: recorder cards.
Contains the correspondence and reports of the International Health Board/International Health Division (IHB/D) of the Rockefeller Foundation, including the Rockefeller Institute Virus Laboratories.
Important Subjects
