Winthrop
Rockefeller, Philanthropist
A Life of Change
John
L. Ward
Foreword by Winthrop Paul Rockefeller
When
your name is Rockefeller, people make assumptions.
As
grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller Sr. and son of
philanthropist John D. Jr., Winthrop Rockefeller was born
into one of the most affluent and influential families in
the world. But he was a nonconformist and often felt isolated
from the rest of his family. Still, he amazed many when
he left the New York elite for a farm in rural Arkansas,
where he would ultimately serve two terms as governor and
create a philanthropic legacy all his own.
In
Winthrop Rockefeller, Philanthropist, John L. Ward
draws from his years as Rockefeller’s speech writer
and campaign advisor to create a remarkably readable and
comprehensive narrative. Ward provides valuable insights
into Rockefeller’s complicated relationships with
his father and brothers and convincingly argues that Rockefeller’s
extraordinarily innovative approach to philanthropy changed
the way Arkansas was viewed by its citizens and by the rest
of the world. This book is a must-read for anyone interested
in twentieth-century philanthropy.
“Winthrop
Rockefeller was a man for the times. As governor, he bravely
championed civil rights—which was almost political
suicide—and ultimately changed social thought in Arkansas.
His breaking of new ground in so many areas made my task
as his successor much easier. His courage and integrity
set a higher political tone that has continued to date and
from which all Arkansans have benefited.”
—Dale
Bumpers, former governor and U.S. senator from Arkansas,
and author of The Best Lawyer
in a One-Lawyer Town (Arkansas, 2003)
“John
Ward has examined an aspect of Winthrop Rockefeller’s
life that only family and close friends have seen. We all
know that he was rich and that he was generous. Just how
generous is a stunning rev-elation. Ward has given us still
another reason to appreciate this extraordinary man.”
—Roy
Reed, former New York Times reporter and author
of Faubus:
The Life and Times of an American Prodigal (Arkansas,
1997)
John
L. Ward was a longtime speechwriter, advisor,
and campaign official for Winthrop Rockefeller and for many
years the editor of the Log Cabin Democrat. He
was supported in his work by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.
John Ward is currently chairman of the Winthrop Rockefeller
Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Arkansas.
2004
6” X 9”
245 pages
29 black and white photographs
$29.95 (s), cloth
978-1-55728-768-7
