Rockefeller, John D., III

John D. Rockefeller III, in full John Davison Rockefeller III, (born March 21, 1906, New York City, New York, U.S.—died July 10, 1978, Mount Pleasant, New York), American philanthropist, eldest of the five sons of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

After graduating from Princeton University (1929), he joined the family’s enterprises, becoming, by 1931, trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation, the General Education Board, the Institute for Medical Research, the China Medical Board, and 29 other boards and committees. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy (1942–45). Generally thereafter he shunned public life to devote his time and energy to philanthropy and to the acquisition of an Oriental art collection (bequeathed at his death to the Asia Society, which he had helped found). He led the fund-raising for the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, serving as its president (1950–61) and chairman (1961–70). He was also associated with the India International Centre in New Delhi and the International House of Japan. As eventual chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation, he gave substantial support to international agencies but donated his own funds to found the Population Council (1952), a research centre for family planning.

His son, John (“Jay”) Davison Rockefeller IV, became prominent in West Virginia politics, serving as governor (1976–84) and U.S. senator (1985–2015).