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On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE BOSTON GLOBE, BOOKLIST, AND KIRKUS REVIEWS • From acclaimed historian Richard Norton Smith comes the definitive life of an American icon: Nelson Rockefeller—one of the most complex and compelling figures of the twentieth century.
Fourteen years in the making, this magisterial biography of the original Rockefeller Republican draws on thousands of newly available documents and over two hundred interviews, including Rockefeller’s own unpublished reminiscences.
Grandson of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, Nelson coveted the White House from childhood. “When you think of what I had,” he once remarked, “what else was there to aspire to?” Before he was thirty he had helped his father develop Rockefeller Center and his mother establish the Museum of Modern Art. At thirty-two he was Franklin Roosevelt’s wartime coordinator for Latin America. As New York’s four-term governor he set national standards in education, the environment, and urban policy. The charismatic face of liberal Republicanism, Rockefeller championed civil rights and health insurance for all. Three times he sought the presidency—arguably in the wrong party. At the Republican National Convention in San Francisco in 1964, locked in an epic battle with Barry Goldwater, Rockefeller denounced extremist elements in the GOP, a moment that changed the party forever. But he could not wrest the nomination from the Arizona conservative, or from Richard Nixon four years later. In the end, he had to settle for two dispiriting years as vice president under Gerald Ford.
In On His Own Terms, Richard Norton Smith re-creates Rockefeller’s improbable rise to the governor’s mansion, his politically disastrous divorce and remarriage, and his often surprising relationships with presidents and political leaders from FDR to Henry Kissinger. A frustrated architect turned master builder, an avid collector of art and an unabashed ladies’ man, “Rocky” promoted fallout shelters and affordable housing with equal enthusiasm. From the deadly 1971 prison uprising at Attica and unceasing battles with New York City mayor John Lindsay to his son’s unsolved disappearance (and the grisly theories it spawned), the punitive drug laws that bear his name, and the much-gossiped-about circumstances of his death, Nelson Rockefeller’s was a life of astonishing color, range, and relevance. On His Own Terms, a masterpiece of the biographer’s art, vividly captures the soaring optimism, polarizing politics, and inner turmoil of this American Original.
Praise for On His Own Terms
“[An] enthralling biography . . . Richard Norton Smith has written what will probably stand as a definitive Life. . . . On His Own Terms succeeds as an absorbing, deeply informative portrait of an important, complicated, semi-heroic figure who, in his approach to the limits of government and to government’s relation to the governed, belonged in every sense to another century.”—The New Yorker
“[A] splendid biography . . . a clear-eyed, exhaustively researched account of a significant and fascinating American life.”—The Wall Street Journal
“A compelling read . . . What makes the book fascinating for a contemporary professional is not so much any one thing that Rockefeller achieved, but the portrait of the world he inhabited not so very long ago.”—The New York Times
“[On His Own Terms] has perception and scholarly authority and is immensely readable.”—The Economist
From the Hardcover edition.
Fourteen years in the making, this magisterial biography of the original Rockefeller Republican draws on thousands of newly available documents and over two hundred interviews, including Rockefeller’s own unpublished reminiscences.
Grandson of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, Nelson coveted the White House from childhood. “When you think of what I had,” he once remarked, “what else was there to aspire to?” Before he was thirty he had helped his father develop Rockefeller Center and his mother establish the Museum of Modern Art. At thirty-two he was Franklin Roosevelt’s wartime coordinator for Latin America. As New York’s four-term governor he set national standards in education, the environment, and urban policy. The charismatic face of liberal Republicanism, Rockefeller championed civil rights and health insurance for all. Three times he sought the presidency—arguably in the wrong party. At the Republican National Convention in San Francisco in 1964, locked in an epic battle with Barry Goldwater, Rockefeller denounced extremist elements in the GOP, a moment that changed the party forever. But he could not wrest the nomination from the Arizona conservative, or from Richard Nixon four years later. In the end, he had to settle for two dispiriting years as vice president under Gerald Ford.
In On His Own Terms, Richard Norton Smith re-creates Rockefeller’s improbable rise to the governor’s mansion, his politically disastrous divorce and remarriage, and his often surprising relationships with presidents and political leaders from FDR to Henry Kissinger. A frustrated architect turned master builder, an avid collector of art and an unabashed ladies’ man, “Rocky” promoted fallout shelters and affordable housing with equal enthusiasm. From the deadly 1971 prison uprising at Attica and unceasing battles with New York City mayor John Lindsay to his son’s unsolved disappearance (and the grisly theories it spawned), the punitive drug laws that bear his name, and the much-gossiped-about circumstances of his death, Nelson Rockefeller’s was a life of astonishing color, range, and relevance. On His Own Terms, a masterpiece of the biographer’s art, vividly captures the soaring optimism, polarizing politics, and inner turmoil of this American Original.
Praise for On His Own Terms
“[An] enthralling biography . . . Richard Norton Smith has written what will probably stand as a definitive Life. . . . On His Own Terms succeeds as an absorbing, deeply informative portrait of an important, complicated, semi-heroic figure who, in his approach to the limits of government and to government’s relation to the governed, belonged in every sense to another century.”—The New Yorker
“[A] splendid biography . . . a clear-eyed, exhaustively researched account of a significant and fascinating American life.”—The Wall Street Journal
“A compelling read . . . What makes the book fascinating for a contemporary professional is not so much any one thing that Rockefeller achieved, but the portrait of the world he inhabited not so very long ago.”—The New York Times
“[On His Own Terms] has perception and scholarly authority and is immensely readable.”—The Economist
From the Hardcover edition.
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First published October 21, 2014
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About the author
Richard Norton Smith
31 books51 followersRichard Norton Smith is an American historian and author, specializing in U.S. presidents and other political figures. In the past, he worked as a freelance writer for The Washington Post, and worked with U.S. Senators Edward Brooke and Bob Dole.
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November 12, 2014
Today the term “Rockefeller Republican” is still considered a negative characterization to most members of the Republican Party. The term stands for moderate republicanism that calls for fiscal prudence, but also a social conscience. In the current political environment when a large number of Republicans are calling for the disassembling of major components of the federal government and are trying to limit people’s voting rights the ideas of Nelson Rockefeller fall on deaf ears. For the former four time governor of New York bipartisanship and an all inclusive party were a major part of his political agenda for most of his time in office. As most of the Rockefeller platform is unacceptable today, it suffered a similar fate in 1964 as Barry Goldwater became the Republican standard bearer against Lyndon Johnson. Many would argue that the hatred for “Rockefeller Republicanism” by Goldwater voters was the precursor of today’s Tea Party. If so a number of important questions must be asked. First, how did Rockefeller’s brand of moderate Republicanism come to the fore? Second, why was it so successful in New York and rejected nationwide? Lastly, why did it provoke such an extreme reaction in 1964 that continues to this day? In his new book, IN HIS OWN TERMS, a major new biography of Nelson Rockefeller, Richard North Smith attempts to answer these and other questions as he explores a career that included the governorship of New York, the Vice Presidency, coordinator of Inter-American affairs under Franklin Roosevelt, and one of the most generous and widely renown philanthropists of his era.
The portrait that Smith presents is a complex one. Rockefeller comes across as an ideological follower of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal for a major part of his political career. Later he would adopt a more conservative political agenda as he continued to seek the presidency on at least three separate occasions. He comes across as a generous individual who uses his wealth to reward and assist others, but at the same time he could be a stubborn vindictive person who set out to get even with those who disagreed with him. Domestically, Rockefeller pursued a liberal agenda, but in foreign policy he was a cold warrior, fearful of the communist threat he supported the Vietnam War for most of his political career. On a personal level Smith describes a man who could be a caring father, but at the same time he appears as a serial philanderer. His first marriage failed after thirty years, and after remarrying, he seemed to dote on the children of his second marriage angering those of his first. The author explores in detail these aspects of the Rockefeller persona and career, and has written an almost encyclopedic biography of one of the most interesting political figures of the twentieth century.
Smith describes his thirteen year odyssey in writing this biography. Its coverage is impressive as he conducted numerous interviews and thoroughly mined the attendant secondary and primary sources. The result is extensive coverage of his subject that brings the reader into the Rockefeller family dating back to its founder John D. Rockefeller. We witness the wealth that was available to Nelson Rockefeller and how he employed it to satisfy his almost obsessive need to acquire art, design and build numerous residences and public buildings, caring for his many associates and friends when they were in need, and of course, procure his own election as governor on four separate occasions. Rockefeller was a “serial” believer in forming committees and/or commissions made up of the leading experts on whatever topic was of interest to him. Each role he was tasked, be it, as coordinator for Latin American affairs under FDR, an emissary for Richard Nixon to Latin America, a study to ascertain the best way to rebuild Albany, NY, develop a way to improve the welfare system in New York as well as well as nationally, along with numerous others, Rockefeller in most cases funded these activities with his own money and many of the solutions that emerged, i.e., revenue sharing and enhancing John F. Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress were adopted by different presidential administrations.
In a book of this length there are many themes and storylines. One that seems to dominate is the evolution of Nelson Rockefeller from a liberal approach to social policy, whereby he was willing to push through increases in taxes, fees and other sources of revenue to implement them. Rockefeller supported a myriad of social programs from improvements in Medicaid, purification of water resources, women’s rights, the first state minimum wage law, to the implementation of civil rights legislation. Rockefeller’s approach to executive leadership and legislative tactics are reviewed as well as his philosophy of government. What emerges is the type of governor that New York hadn’t seen since FDR. With the message of taking responsibility for developing problems for the future, he would tackle issues in the present so they would not become problems down the road. The issue was his overly ambitious approach to executive leadership always risked alienating conservatives west of the Hudson River. With a strategy that would evolve from a “pay as you go” philosophy that would bring revenues into line with expenditures, “thereby eliminating costly borrowing and setting the stage for renewed economic growth,” Rockefeller evolved into to a governor who blew up the state budget to meet the needs of his massive infrastructure and building expenses in addition to the budget shortfalls of New York City by borrowing and floating different bond proposals. By the time Rockefeller reached the end of his third term in office and was elected to his fourth term he became increasingly fiscally conservative as he faced opposition from the state legislature and probably realized that the political current of the late sixties and early seventies would not help any presidential ambitions he might have if he did not change. Another major storyline that dominated Rockefeller his entire life that permeates the book was his life long battle with dyslexia. The governor was not aware that he suffered from this affliction, but whether he was attending the Lincoln School in New York, Dartmouth College, or just trying to keep up with the massive amount of reading that a state executive engaged in it was always a battle. With his wealth as a cushion, Rockefeller was able to employ numerous individuals to assist in this process whether in preparation of legislation or developing auditory strategies to overcome his reading difficulties.
There are a number of fascinating aspects to Smith’s approach to his subject as he prepared expansive footnotes at the bottom of each page providing the reader with ancillary information that was not available in the text. Rockefeller’s private opinions of the likes of John Lindsay and Richard Nixon emerge in a very “colorful” fashion which made the mining of these footnotes quite entertaining. Smith’s discussion of deeply personal issues is not blanched over. The breakup of Rockefeller’s marriage to Mary Todhunter Clark (Tod) was detailed and very fair as was the coverage of his remarriage to Margaretta “Happy” Murphy. The loss of his son Michael during an expedition to collect primitive art in a remote part of New Guinea shows a father who has to deal emotionally with a loss of a son. The relationship of the Rockefeller brothers and their children receives a great deal of attention and produces many interesting insights into the dynamic of such a public family. Importantly, Smith does not mince words or coverage in dealing with Rockefeller’s numerous extracurricular activities with numerous women throughout his marriages. In fact we witness a scandal at the site of Rockefeller’s death as to how his body was treated by those who were with him and the medical papers that were prepared to spare the family any embarrassment.
Aside from the personal aspects of the Rockefeller story, Smith devotes a great deal of effort in explaining what drove Rockefeller. He was an avid and meticulous collector of modern and primitive art and he set as a goal the creation of a museum to house modern art that he would proudly help establish with the creation of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The second area that fascinated Rockefeller was politics and how it could be used to help people and better his country, a career path that would dominate his life for over forty years. The fact that Rockefeller realized that as a scion of wealth he did not have to worry about “ordinary things,” therefore he was motivated to pursue the extraordinary. Rockefeller’s battles to create MoMA were his trial by fire, a learning course in the art of political infighting. This would also be the case in the creative process and building of Rockefeller Center as he would take lessons learned from these confrontations and apply them in the future in his fights with the legislature, opponents such as New York Mayors John Lindsay and Robert Wagner, as well as national political battles. In dealing with transit and garbage strikes, prison issues including the riots and death at Attica, infrastructure and other building projects, Rockefeller’s learning curve was applied to many crises.
Rockefeller’s other area of interest was foreign policy, and Latin America in particular. His approach to western hemispheric issues was ahead of his time. It began as a strategy to block Nazi Germany’s inroads in Mexico and South America. He agreed with FDR that hemispheric solidarity was the key to changing the perception that the United States was seen as a colonizer in the region. In 1942 Rockefeller unveiled his “Basic Economy Program” that called for improvement in the region’s public health problems. Rockefeller arranged training for hundreds of professional nurses to assist in creating medical clinics in outlying areas. Further, he worked to export penicillin to offset disease in the region. “In four years, Rockefeller agents trained more than ten thousand in-service workers, nurses, doctors, midwives, sanitary engineers, and home demonstration agents.”(164) Rockefeller engaged in a fierce bureaucratic battle with “Wild” Bill Donavan, the head of the Office of Strategic Services at the end of the war over policy toward Latin America. After the war facing the fight against communism, Rockefeller was a proponent of foreign aid to the region, but his approach was geared to offset the sensibilities of the countries receiving it to avoid the charactiture of “Yankee Imperialism” that OSS policy seemed to engender. Rockefeller’s sensitivity toward third world countries should not take away from his fervent anticommunism, particularly in dealing with Vietnam where he was a strong supporter of Lyndon Johnson and was able to develop a close working relationship with the president.
Smith does yeoman’s work in describing Rockefeller’s campaigns for governor and president. In both areas Rockefeller’s wealth and ability to obtain the necessary support for his candidacies was ever present. The elective success he experienced in New York could not be replicated on the national stage as the Republican Party shifted to the right throughout the nineteen sixties. His battle against Goldwater in 1964 made him an enemy to conservative republicans and his indecision in 1968 cost him any hope of wresting the republican nomination away from Richard Nixon, which also destroyed any candidacy for 1972. His hopes improved after he was chosen vice-president by Gerald Ford following the resignation of Richard Nixon, but any hope of influencing the Ford presidency was offset by major disagreements with Ford’s Chief of Staff, Donald Rumsfeld who would block Rockefeller at every turn over policy and political decisions. Any hope of higher office was dashed in 1976 as Rockefeller’s support for civil rights and the Voting Rights Act made him a political liability with conservative republicans in the south and resulted in the candidacy of Robert Dole for Vice-President on the 1976 Republican presidential ticket.
Overall, Nelson Rockefeller enjoyed an amazing life. Art connoisseur, benefactor to countless individuals, a mostly progressive governor, and an influential and sometimes polarizing national figure for decades. Richard Norton Smith gives attention to all these aspects of Rockefeller’s life and has written an in depth and informative biography that I am certain will be the definitive work on an illustrious career for many years to come.
The portrait that Smith presents is a complex one. Rockefeller comes across as an ideological follower of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal for a major part of his political career. Later he would adopt a more conservative political agenda as he continued to seek the presidency on at least three separate occasions. He comes across as a generous individual who uses his wealth to reward and assist others, but at the same time he could be a stubborn vindictive person who set out to get even with those who disagreed with him. Domestically, Rockefeller pursued a liberal agenda, but in foreign policy he was a cold warrior, fearful of the communist threat he supported the Vietnam War for most of his political career. On a personal level Smith describes a man who could be a caring father, but at the same time he appears as a serial philanderer. His first marriage failed after thirty years, and after remarrying, he seemed to dote on the children of his second marriage angering those of his first. The author explores in detail these aspects of the Rockefeller persona and career, and has written an almost encyclopedic biography of one of the most interesting political figures of the twentieth century.
Smith describes his thirteen year odyssey in writing this biography. Its coverage is impressive as he conducted numerous interviews and thoroughly mined the attendant secondary and primary sources. The result is extensive coverage of his subject that brings the reader into the Rockefeller family dating back to its founder John D. Rockefeller. We witness the wealth that was available to Nelson Rockefeller and how he employed it to satisfy his almost obsessive need to acquire art, design and build numerous residences and public buildings, caring for his many associates and friends when they were in need, and of course, procure his own election as governor on four separate occasions. Rockefeller was a “serial” believer in forming committees and/or commissions made up of the leading experts on whatever topic was of interest to him. Each role he was tasked, be it, as coordinator for Latin American affairs under FDR, an emissary for Richard Nixon to Latin America, a study to ascertain the best way to rebuild Albany, NY, develop a way to improve the welfare system in New York as well as well as nationally, along with numerous others, Rockefeller in most cases funded these activities with his own money and many of the solutions that emerged, i.e., revenue sharing and enhancing John F. Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress were adopted by different presidential administrations.
In a book of this length there are many themes and storylines. One that seems to dominate is the evolution of Nelson Rockefeller from a liberal approach to social policy, whereby he was willing to push through increases in taxes, fees and other sources of revenue to implement them. Rockefeller supported a myriad of social programs from improvements in Medicaid, purification of water resources, women’s rights, the first state minimum wage law, to the implementation of civil rights legislation. Rockefeller’s approach to executive leadership and legislative tactics are reviewed as well as his philosophy of government. What emerges is the type of governor that New York hadn’t seen since FDR. With the message of taking responsibility for developing problems for the future, he would tackle issues in the present so they would not become problems down the road. The issue was his overly ambitious approach to executive leadership always risked alienating conservatives west of the Hudson River. With a strategy that would evolve from a “pay as you go” philosophy that would bring revenues into line with expenditures, “thereby eliminating costly borrowing and setting the stage for renewed economic growth,” Rockefeller evolved into to a governor who blew up the state budget to meet the needs of his massive infrastructure and building expenses in addition to the budget shortfalls of New York City by borrowing and floating different bond proposals. By the time Rockefeller reached the end of his third term in office and was elected to his fourth term he became increasingly fiscally conservative as he faced opposition from the state legislature and probably realized that the political current of the late sixties and early seventies would not help any presidential ambitions he might have if he did not change. Another major storyline that dominated Rockefeller his entire life that permeates the book was his life long battle with dyslexia. The governor was not aware that he suffered from this affliction, but whether he was attending the Lincoln School in New York, Dartmouth College, or just trying to keep up with the massive amount of reading that a state executive engaged in it was always a battle. With his wealth as a cushion, Rockefeller was able to employ numerous individuals to assist in this process whether in preparation of legislation or developing auditory strategies to overcome his reading difficulties.
There are a number of fascinating aspects to Smith’s approach to his subject as he prepared expansive footnotes at the bottom of each page providing the reader with ancillary information that was not available in the text. Rockefeller’s private opinions of the likes of John Lindsay and Richard Nixon emerge in a very “colorful” fashion which made the mining of these footnotes quite entertaining. Smith’s discussion of deeply personal issues is not blanched over. The breakup of Rockefeller’s marriage to Mary Todhunter Clark (Tod) was detailed and very fair as was the coverage of his remarriage to Margaretta “Happy” Murphy. The loss of his son Michael during an expedition to collect primitive art in a remote part of New Guinea shows a father who has to deal emotionally with a loss of a son. The relationship of the Rockefeller brothers and their children receives a great deal of attention and produces many interesting insights into the dynamic of such a public family. Importantly, Smith does not mince words or coverage in dealing with Rockefeller’s numerous extracurricular activities with numerous women throughout his marriages. In fact we witness a scandal at the site of Rockefeller’s death as to how his body was treated by those who were with him and the medical papers that were prepared to spare the family any embarrassment.
Aside from the personal aspects of the Rockefeller story, Smith devotes a great deal of effort in explaining what drove Rockefeller. He was an avid and meticulous collector of modern and primitive art and he set as a goal the creation of a museum to house modern art that he would proudly help establish with the creation of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The second area that fascinated Rockefeller was politics and how it could be used to help people and better his country, a career path that would dominate his life for over forty years. The fact that Rockefeller realized that as a scion of wealth he did not have to worry about “ordinary things,” therefore he was motivated to pursue the extraordinary. Rockefeller’s battles to create MoMA were his trial by fire, a learning course in the art of political infighting. This would also be the case in the creative process and building of Rockefeller Center as he would take lessons learned from these confrontations and apply them in the future in his fights with the legislature, opponents such as New York Mayors John Lindsay and Robert Wagner, as well as national political battles. In dealing with transit and garbage strikes, prison issues including the riots and death at Attica, infrastructure and other building projects, Rockefeller’s learning curve was applied to many crises.
Rockefeller’s other area of interest was foreign policy, and Latin America in particular. His approach to western hemispheric issues was ahead of his time. It began as a strategy to block Nazi Germany’s inroads in Mexico and South America. He agreed with FDR that hemispheric solidarity was the key to changing the perception that the United States was seen as a colonizer in the region. In 1942 Rockefeller unveiled his “Basic Economy Program” that called for improvement in the region’s public health problems. Rockefeller arranged training for hundreds of professional nurses to assist in creating medical clinics in outlying areas. Further, he worked to export penicillin to offset disease in the region. “In four years, Rockefeller agents trained more than ten thousand in-service workers, nurses, doctors, midwives, sanitary engineers, and home demonstration agents.”(164) Rockefeller engaged in a fierce bureaucratic battle with “Wild” Bill Donavan, the head of the Office of Strategic Services at the end of the war over policy toward Latin America. After the war facing the fight against communism, Rockefeller was a proponent of foreign aid to the region, but his approach was geared to offset the sensibilities of the countries receiving it to avoid the charactiture of “Yankee Imperialism” that OSS policy seemed to engender. Rockefeller’s sensitivity toward third world countries should not take away from his fervent anticommunism, particularly in dealing with Vietnam where he was a strong supporter of Lyndon Johnson and was able to develop a close working relationship with the president.
Smith does yeoman’s work in describing Rockefeller’s campaigns for governor and president. In both areas Rockefeller’s wealth and ability to obtain the necessary support for his candidacies was ever present. The elective success he experienced in New York could not be replicated on the national stage as the Republican Party shifted to the right throughout the nineteen sixties. His battle against Goldwater in 1964 made him an enemy to conservative republicans and his indecision in 1968 cost him any hope of wresting the republican nomination away from Richard Nixon, which also destroyed any candidacy for 1972. His hopes improved after he was chosen vice-president by Gerald Ford following the resignation of Richard Nixon, but any hope of influencing the Ford presidency was offset by major disagreements with Ford’s Chief of Staff, Donald Rumsfeld who would block Rockefeller at every turn over policy and political decisions. Any hope of higher office was dashed in 1976 as Rockefeller’s support for civil rights and the Voting Rights Act made him a political liability with conservative republicans in the south and resulted in the candidacy of Robert Dole for Vice-President on the 1976 Republican presidential ticket.
Overall, Nelson Rockefeller enjoyed an amazing life. Art connoisseur, benefactor to countless individuals, a mostly progressive governor, and an influential and sometimes polarizing national figure for decades. Richard Norton Smith gives attention to all these aspects of Rockefeller’s life and has written an in depth and informative biography that I am certain will be the definitive work on an illustrious career for many years to come.
May 2, 2017
Nelson Rockefeller was an “East Coast Republican” when that term denoted a particular set of principles and actions. He was a beneficiary of the Rockefeller fortune (along with his siblings) and he had a long life of public service.
Richard Norton Smith examines the whole transit of Rockefeller’s life in over 700 pages of a very detailed biography (with an additional 100 pages of notes and indexing). He writes with both grace and insight. [The rest of this review will just expand on those points.]
Those who currently remember “the Rockefeller years” probably isolate the following two political facts:
1. He was elected governor of New York multiple times and,
2. He ran for President of the USA more than once, unsuccessfully.
Some may recall the short time he spent as Gerald Ford’s Vice President. As a politician, he was labeled both a moderate and a progressive and led the Republican wing often known as “Rockefeller Republicans.” He claimed to have “a Democratic heart with a Republican head…” It is clear that Nelson and most of his siblings felt a special obligation to give back to the citizens of the USA that many of the current 0.01% couldn’t care less about. See the recent obituary of his brother, David, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/bu...
Smith is as enthusiastic as a hound getting a fresh scent as he takes us through Rockefeller’s life. And, this analogy may be more than apt because Smith was given access to material (particularly Rockefeller’s correspondence) that had never before been examined. We get this man’s full enthusiastic life that including his love and collecting of art, his work in Latin America both with the family’s business and later (in the Roosevelt years) with the government’s business.
Aside: In much of the 20th Century Latin America was either ignored or subject to many attempts by those in the USA’s government to put dictators who favored the USA’s economic interest in power. Rockefeller was of another stripe: very interested in the culture and the people of various countries and interested in encouraging democracy. His efforts during World War II were very successful in persuading many South American countries to forsake their German trading partners. He never got on particularly well with Richard Nixon or Henry Kissinger but he worked hard to keep communications open. Smith gives us the political play-by-play negotiations that eventually made Rockefeller Nixon’s Latin American “emissary.” It is interesting to speculate about a better fate for that region if there had been a Rockefeller presidency.
The New York City skyline and the state’s infrastructure still reflect a very substantial contribution during his governorship of fifty years ago. His administration established the first state minimum wage. He encouraged affordable housing. Yet, Smith also has to deal with Rockefeller’s infidelities, his repudiation of his early spending policies when he ran for President or tried to be on Nixon’s good side. And, there is the whole mess of the Attica prison riots for which Rockefeller bears as much responsibility as did Henry II for the death of Thomas à Becket. The only place where I found that Smith did less than connect all the dots has to do with the financial crises of the 1970s in New York City. Did the State’s economic policies under Nelson Rockefeller have a share of the responsibility for what happened?
The book is always interesting, lively and well written and, just when you think you have got the essence of Nelson Rockefeller, Smith will add something to make you reconsider your conclusion. If you are going to read a biography of Rockefeller, make it this one.
Richard Norton Smith examines the whole transit of Rockefeller’s life in over 700 pages of a very detailed biography (with an additional 100 pages of notes and indexing). He writes with both grace and insight. [The rest of this review will just expand on those points.]
Those who currently remember “the Rockefeller years” probably isolate the following two political facts:
1. He was elected governor of New York multiple times and,
2. He ran for President of the USA more than once, unsuccessfully.
Some may recall the short time he spent as Gerald Ford’s Vice President. As a politician, he was labeled both a moderate and a progressive and led the Republican wing often known as “Rockefeller Republicans.” He claimed to have “a Democratic heart with a Republican head…” It is clear that Nelson and most of his siblings felt a special obligation to give back to the citizens of the USA that many of the current 0.01% couldn’t care less about. See the recent obituary of his brother, David, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/bu...
Smith is as enthusiastic as a hound getting a fresh scent as he takes us through Rockefeller’s life. And, this analogy may be more than apt because Smith was given access to material (particularly Rockefeller’s correspondence) that had never before been examined. We get this man’s full enthusiastic life that including his love and collecting of art, his work in Latin America both with the family’s business and later (in the Roosevelt years) with the government’s business.
Aside: In much of the 20th Century Latin America was either ignored or subject to many attempts by those in the USA’s government to put dictators who favored the USA’s economic interest in power. Rockefeller was of another stripe: very interested in the culture and the people of various countries and interested in encouraging democracy. His efforts during World War II were very successful in persuading many South American countries to forsake their German trading partners. He never got on particularly well with Richard Nixon or Henry Kissinger but he worked hard to keep communications open. Smith gives us the political play-by-play negotiations that eventually made Rockefeller Nixon’s Latin American “emissary.” It is interesting to speculate about a better fate for that region if there had been a Rockefeller presidency.
The New York City skyline and the state’s infrastructure still reflect a very substantial contribution during his governorship of fifty years ago. His administration established the first state minimum wage. He encouraged affordable housing. Yet, Smith also has to deal with Rockefeller’s infidelities, his repudiation of his early spending policies when he ran for President or tried to be on Nixon’s good side. And, there is the whole mess of the Attica prison riots for which Rockefeller bears as much responsibility as did Henry II for the death of Thomas à Becket. The only place where I found that Smith did less than connect all the dots has to do with the financial crises of the 1970s in New York City. Did the State’s economic policies under Nelson Rockefeller have a share of the responsibility for what happened?
The book is always interesting, lively and well written and, just when you think you have got the essence of Nelson Rockefeller, Smith will add something to make you reconsider your conclusion. If you are going to read a biography of Rockefeller, make it this one.
November 19, 2014
Richard Norton Smith is a well known historian and biographer. He is known for his strenuously researched, fully contextualized, comprehensive biographies. True to his reputation he has created an outstanding, comprehensive biography of Nelson A. Rockefeller.
Nelson Rockefeller was the grandson of John D. Rockefeller and was born on his grandfather’s birthday. His father was John D. Rockefeller Jr. The author states that because NR did not have to make a living he chose to dedicate his life to public service. Smith spends about a third of the book on NR early life.
Smith describes NR’s first job in government in August 1940 when he was appointed Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs by President Franklin Roosevelt. He was charged with designing economic aid and cultural programs for Latin America. He spent fifteen years in Washington as a special adviser, undersecretary and cabinet member for three successive presidents two of them democrats. Smith states NR developed a reputation as a visionary connoisseur of innovative thinking. In 1957 he became the Governor of New York. While governor he expanded colleges, parks and state infrastructure. Smith states NR blazed trails in funding the arts, protecting the consumer, restoring the environment and advancing transportation, human rights, highway safety and so on. On the negative side Smith states that in his final years as governor he became a budgetary hawk, did a right ward shift on welfare, did a brutal suppression of the rebellion at Attica state prison in 1971 and created draconian drug laws in 1973.
Smith does not wallow in salacious details nor does he close his eyes to Rockefeller’s flagrant adultery and its personal and political consequences. He pulls no punches in this biography. Smith reports that as Rockefeller aged he became even more confident in his superiority, more self indulgent and more oblivious to his marginalization within the Republican Party.
Smith reveals NR had dyslexia; therefore he called in authors, experts to explain their ideas to him instead of reading the reports. Because of his wealth he was able to create a brain trust around himself to assist him and to inform him of the latest ideas, knowledge etc.
Nelson Rockefeller has been the subject of at least ten previous biographies but this one may turn out to be the most definitive one. This book is 880 pages or 41 hours in the audio book format but I could hardly put it down it kept my attention throughout. Smith spend 14 years doing meticulous research, this included not only the prior biographies but also interviews with early Rockefeller contemporaries and 60,000 pages of newly available oral histories and family archives as well as the newly released letters of NR’s first wife Mary Rockefeller. This biography is all that an unbiased biography should be. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Paul Michael did a good job narrating the book.
Nelson Rockefeller was the grandson of John D. Rockefeller and was born on his grandfather’s birthday. His father was John D. Rockefeller Jr. The author states that because NR did not have to make a living he chose to dedicate his life to public service. Smith spends about a third of the book on NR early life.
Smith describes NR’s first job in government in August 1940 when he was appointed Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs by President Franklin Roosevelt. He was charged with designing economic aid and cultural programs for Latin America. He spent fifteen years in Washington as a special adviser, undersecretary and cabinet member for three successive presidents two of them democrats. Smith states NR developed a reputation as a visionary connoisseur of innovative thinking. In 1957 he became the Governor of New York. While governor he expanded colleges, parks and state infrastructure. Smith states NR blazed trails in funding the arts, protecting the consumer, restoring the environment and advancing transportation, human rights, highway safety and so on. On the negative side Smith states that in his final years as governor he became a budgetary hawk, did a right ward shift on welfare, did a brutal suppression of the rebellion at Attica state prison in 1971 and created draconian drug laws in 1973.
Smith does not wallow in salacious details nor does he close his eyes to Rockefeller’s flagrant adultery and its personal and political consequences. He pulls no punches in this biography. Smith reports that as Rockefeller aged he became even more confident in his superiority, more self indulgent and more oblivious to his marginalization within the Republican Party.
Smith reveals NR had dyslexia; therefore he called in authors, experts to explain their ideas to him instead of reading the reports. Because of his wealth he was able to create a brain trust around himself to assist him and to inform him of the latest ideas, knowledge etc.
Nelson Rockefeller has been the subject of at least ten previous biographies but this one may turn out to be the most definitive one. This book is 880 pages or 41 hours in the audio book format but I could hardly put it down it kept my attention throughout. Smith spend 14 years doing meticulous research, this included not only the prior biographies but also interviews with early Rockefeller contemporaries and 60,000 pages of newly available oral histories and family archives as well as the newly released letters of NR’s first wife Mary Rockefeller. This biography is all that an unbiased biography should be. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Paul Michael did a good job narrating the book.
November 4, 2014
This book should win the Pulitzer Prize for Biography. It makes me want to go back in time and campaign for Nelson Rockefeller. A magnificent read that is marvelously written.
January 31, 2018
''Nixon declared that there were only three men in America who understood the use of power - ' I do, John Connally does. And I guess Nelson does' [...] 'He was always in the wrong church,' concluded Al Marshall. ' He was always in the wrong pew''.
Richard Norton Smith is a well established presidential historian who worked for Bob Dole as a speech writer and wrote many books on politicians such as Herbert Hoover, Thomas Dewey and (currently in the making) Gerry Ford. His biography of Nelson Rockefeller is highly readable. For one, he begins the first chapter with the infamous showdown at the 1964 Republican Convention. immersing the reading in the hot San Francisco summer. There, ''Rocky'' embodied the liberal wing of the GOP fighting for its soul against the conservatives backing Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater while a twice defeated Richard Nixon sat quietly and held his cards until the next election.
Reading about Rockefeller is reading about the failure and success of a republican equivalent of JFK. The billionaire East Coast New Deal Republican wore many hats. He was an art collector, a shareholder, FDR's man in South America during WWII (speaking Spanish with ease), a 4 times elected governor of New York and unelected vice president.
The book is heavy on his south american time and governorship. I found it well balanced between politics and policies. Although I was a bit lost (and bored) in the arcane of budget fights in Albany. His ill and short stint as Ford's VP is only briefly covered within 37 pages. I was surprised because Smith used to be Director of the Ford Presidential Library and I thought he would have more to say about 74' to 77'.
The most interesting parts for me were passages relating his relationships with powerful men like Nixon, Kissinger, Goldwater, Rumsfeld, Robert Kennedy, mayor Lindsay, Robert Moses, LBJ and the likes.
Long read but worth it if you like to read about the GOP .
Richard Norton Smith is a well established presidential historian who worked for Bob Dole as a speech writer and wrote many books on politicians such as Herbert Hoover, Thomas Dewey and (currently in the making) Gerry Ford. His biography of Nelson Rockefeller is highly readable. For one, he begins the first chapter with the infamous showdown at the 1964 Republican Convention. immersing the reading in the hot San Francisco summer. There, ''Rocky'' embodied the liberal wing of the GOP fighting for its soul against the conservatives backing Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater while a twice defeated Richard Nixon sat quietly and held his cards until the next election.
Reading about Rockefeller is reading about the failure and success of a republican equivalent of JFK. The billionaire East Coast New Deal Republican wore many hats. He was an art collector, a shareholder, FDR's man in South America during WWII (speaking Spanish with ease), a 4 times elected governor of New York and unelected vice president.
The book is heavy on his south american time and governorship. I found it well balanced between politics and policies. Although I was a bit lost (and bored) in the arcane of budget fights in Albany. His ill and short stint as Ford's VP is only briefly covered within 37 pages. I was surprised because Smith used to be Director of the Ford Presidential Library and I thought he would have more to say about 74' to 77'.
The most interesting parts for me were passages relating his relationships with powerful men like Nixon, Kissinger, Goldwater, Rumsfeld, Robert Kennedy, mayor Lindsay, Robert Moses, LBJ and the likes.
Long read but worth it if you like to read about the GOP .
September 17, 2014
Wow, this book was so interesting. In all my readings, I find so many important people in various occupations are dyslexic, as was Nelson Rockefeller as told in this book. The length of this book was tough for me and took me a long time to get through. But it was well worth it to see into Nelson Rockefeller's life and its many facets.
To my old mind, the Rockefellers and the Kennedys bring to mind the same mindset of wealth and ambition. In Nelson Rockefeller's case, he was an "almost" President, while one Kennedy was President and one Kennedy was an "almost" President.
As Governor of New York, Nelson Rockefeller was ahead of his time in upgrading education standards and wanting health insurance for all. Being elected 4 times, he must have done something right.
Having been called "the champ who never made it, alluding of course to his failed Presidential runs, he was also called the Republican Hubert Humphrey. His life was full and he was exactly the man he wanted to be.
It's a very good read.
To my old mind, the Rockefellers and the Kennedys bring to mind the same mindset of wealth and ambition. In Nelson Rockefeller's case, he was an "almost" President, while one Kennedy was President and one Kennedy was an "almost" President.
As Governor of New York, Nelson Rockefeller was ahead of his time in upgrading education standards and wanting health insurance for all. Being elected 4 times, he must have done something right.
Having been called "the champ who never made it, alluding of course to his failed Presidential runs, he was also called the Republican Hubert Humphrey. His life was full and he was exactly the man he wanted to be.
It's a very good read.
December 16, 2018
Richard Norton Smith has written an outstanding biography of a very complex man. Nelson Rockefeller, born to enormous wealth and privilege, struggled to escape from the suffocating atmosphere placed on he and his brothers by his emotionally stunted father John Jr. Suffering from a severe case of dyslexia, Rockefeller instead relied on his buoyant personality (and incredible wealth) to help him navigate life. Elected four times as Governor of New York, and appointed Vice President under Gerald Ford, the highest office in the land eluded his grasp. Although, as Smith shows, Rockefeller was at times seemingly ambivalent about chasing the office, either through his actions or his words. Throw in a very messy personal life, and you have someone who, despite all of the privilege and pampering that he had, still never quite seemed to get what he wanted out of life.
Smith's writing style is, in my opinion, worthy of being included in the top ranks of biographers – people such as Ron Chernow and David McCullough. Not as intense as Robert Caro, but perhaps a tad more scholarly than McCullough, Smith writes objectively and dispassionately. His goal here is give the reader all of the essentials on Rockefeller, provide perceptive analysis along the way without getting in the way of the storyline, and let the reader form their own final judgment on Rockefeller. Smith seamlessly transitions from policy discussions to detailing Rockefeller's constant philandering and marital discord. He does not beat Rockefeller over the head for his many flaws; nor does he skimp on the positive aspects of his behavior. Rockefeller had many sides to him: he could be both petty and kind, cruel and generous, disarming yet distant, arrogant yet down-to-earth. I thought that Smith made sure to interweave both Rockefeller's professional and personal lives – showing what he was facing on multiple fronts at any one time.
Rockefeller had a quixotic quest for the presidency. He wanted it in 1960, but stubbed his toe by declaring that he was not going to run, then deciding to run, then dropping out in favor of Richard Nixon. Despite Rockefeller later saying that this year was his best chance to win the Republican nomination, I really do not see how that could be. Nixon was the sitting Vice President and had been for eight years. To wrest the nomination from him seems almost unthinkable, despite a clearly reluctant President Dwight Eisenhower. Also, even though this does not become clear until 1964, the Republican Party was moving fundamentally to the right. While the Eastern Establishment did not particularly like Nixon, they could tolerate him as he appealed to the growing conservative wing of the party. In contrast, the much more liberal Rockefeller inspired deep distrust and resentment amongst the people who, only four years later, vociferously supported Senator Barry Goldwater for president, and mercilessly booed Rockefeller while he was attempting to give a speech at the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco. In fact, that moment is actually what Smith opens the book with as a Prologue, immediately drawing the reader into Rockefeller's world.
The vast majority of the book profiles Rockefeller's four term Governorship of New York. There is a lot of policy discussion, but Smith never gets carried away with intricate details. Fortunately, he sprinkles in colorful anecdotes (many done via footnotes at the bottom of pages) that help to keep the narrative moving. He also charts Rockefeller's slow movement towards being less liberal than when he was younger. It is a bit of a misnomer to state that Rockefeller became conservative, because even at the end of of his tenure, he was still much more liberal than many in the Republican party would have liked him to be. Oddly, he resigned at the end of 1973, one full year shy of completing his fourth term. Various explanations were given at the time, but like so many other things in Rockefeller's life, Smith can only provide some educated guesses on his motives for doing so.
Rockefeller became the nation's second unelected Vice President in December 1974, following his confirmation hearings after being appointed by Gerald Ford in the wake of the Watergate mess. This was a thankless job for Rockefeller, one that he felt obligated to take but in reality had no desire to hold. Accustomed to wielding power, he found himself continually under fire from Donald Rumsfeld and other Ford loyalists who never trusted him. Less than a year into his shortened vice presidency, Ford asked him to withdraw from running with him on the 1976 ticket. That had to have hurt. I know Rockefeller had more money than almost any other human being will ever have, but as Smith shows throughout this book, money does not solve all of life's problems and it does not guarantee a smooth passage through life. Diminished in stature, aging, and with almost no constitutional authority, Rockefeller plodded through the final year-plus left in the term, knowing that he was powerless to shape events.
Smith finishes with a somewhat sad chapter covering the final two years of Rockefeller's life. Now done with politics for good and fighting with his family about the direction of the Rockefeller Center and finances, Rockefeller aged quickly and his health began to deteriorate. His death from a massive heart attack in 1979 is shrouded in mystery. It is strangely compelling to consider which of the many different versions to believe, but Smith does not engage in unnecessary speculation and drama. Why this book did not win any awards is beyond me, as it is an outstanding work by one of the top political historians of our time. This is one of the best biographies that I have ever read.
Grade: A
Smith's writing style is, in my opinion, worthy of being included in the top ranks of biographers – people such as Ron Chernow and David McCullough. Not as intense as Robert Caro, but perhaps a tad more scholarly than McCullough, Smith writes objectively and dispassionately. His goal here is give the reader all of the essentials on Rockefeller, provide perceptive analysis along the way without getting in the way of the storyline, and let the reader form their own final judgment on Rockefeller. Smith seamlessly transitions from policy discussions to detailing Rockefeller's constant philandering and marital discord. He does not beat Rockefeller over the head for his many flaws; nor does he skimp on the positive aspects of his behavior. Rockefeller had many sides to him: he could be both petty and kind, cruel and generous, disarming yet distant, arrogant yet down-to-earth. I thought that Smith made sure to interweave both Rockefeller's professional and personal lives – showing what he was facing on multiple fronts at any one time.
Rockefeller had a quixotic quest for the presidency. He wanted it in 1960, but stubbed his toe by declaring that he was not going to run, then deciding to run, then dropping out in favor of Richard Nixon. Despite Rockefeller later saying that this year was his best chance to win the Republican nomination, I really do not see how that could be. Nixon was the sitting Vice President and had been for eight years. To wrest the nomination from him seems almost unthinkable, despite a clearly reluctant President Dwight Eisenhower. Also, even though this does not become clear until 1964, the Republican Party was moving fundamentally to the right. While the Eastern Establishment did not particularly like Nixon, they could tolerate him as he appealed to the growing conservative wing of the party. In contrast, the much more liberal Rockefeller inspired deep distrust and resentment amongst the people who, only four years later, vociferously supported Senator Barry Goldwater for president, and mercilessly booed Rockefeller while he was attempting to give a speech at the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco. In fact, that moment is actually what Smith opens the book with as a Prologue, immediately drawing the reader into Rockefeller's world.
The vast majority of the book profiles Rockefeller's four term Governorship of New York. There is a lot of policy discussion, but Smith never gets carried away with intricate details. Fortunately, he sprinkles in colorful anecdotes (many done via footnotes at the bottom of pages) that help to keep the narrative moving. He also charts Rockefeller's slow movement towards being less liberal than when he was younger. It is a bit of a misnomer to state that Rockefeller became conservative, because even at the end of of his tenure, he was still much more liberal than many in the Republican party would have liked him to be. Oddly, he resigned at the end of 1973, one full year shy of completing his fourth term. Various explanations were given at the time, but like so many other things in Rockefeller's life, Smith can only provide some educated guesses on his motives for doing so.
Rockefeller became the nation's second unelected Vice President in December 1974, following his confirmation hearings after being appointed by Gerald Ford in the wake of the Watergate mess. This was a thankless job for Rockefeller, one that he felt obligated to take but in reality had no desire to hold. Accustomed to wielding power, he found himself continually under fire from Donald Rumsfeld and other Ford loyalists who never trusted him. Less than a year into his shortened vice presidency, Ford asked him to withdraw from running with him on the 1976 ticket. That had to have hurt. I know Rockefeller had more money than almost any other human being will ever have, but as Smith shows throughout this book, money does not solve all of life's problems and it does not guarantee a smooth passage through life. Diminished in stature, aging, and with almost no constitutional authority, Rockefeller plodded through the final year-plus left in the term, knowing that he was powerless to shape events.
Smith finishes with a somewhat sad chapter covering the final two years of Rockefeller's life. Now done with politics for good and fighting with his family about the direction of the Rockefeller Center and finances, Rockefeller aged quickly and his health began to deteriorate. His death from a massive heart attack in 1979 is shrouded in mystery. It is strangely compelling to consider which of the many different versions to believe, but Smith does not engage in unnecessary speculation and drama. Why this book did not win any awards is beyond me, as it is an outstanding work by one of the top political historians of our time. This is one of the best biographies that I have ever read.
Grade: A
December 29, 2015
First, I have included this in my Special Needs category because Rockefeller was Dyslexic and his notes reflect this -- the author has not changed these, at all.
This was a very interesting biography, but it was extremely difficult to separate the personal from the political as they were often intertwined. The story starts from before Rockefeller's birth and goes to just beyond his death.
Some interesting things that I learned:
Personal Perspective:
Rockefeller's father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. aka Junior, divided the world into two classes of people: "leaners and holders-up." Fearing that his children would be spoiled by money, Junior devised a system of rewards wherein cash was doled out to the most charitable or dutiful of his offspring. If you rebelled (like his daughter, Babs), you basically got nothing.
Many people believe that Happy was his wife, and she was, but she wasn't his FIRST wife. Rockefeller was married to Tod (short for Todhunter -- her middle name) for over 30 years before officially (finally) giving her up for his mistress, Happy. By the way, Happy had worked for Rockefeller (Rocky) before becoming romantically involved with him.
Rockefeller wasn’t the only one with a spouse and children (5); Happy was also married and had four children when their affair began. The price of her divorce was no less than the custody of her four children, the youngest of who was four. There was also a question about the paternity of this youngest child – you’ll have to read the book to learn more!
Nelson liked women; he liked to surround himself with women. As with Happy, if he really liked a woman, he would have her moved from one position within his organization to a place much closer to his office. Happy was not the first; nor would she be the last.
Going back to Tod, when he was first describing her attributes to his beloved mother, Abby, I wondered if he was selecting a horse. Also I wasn't sure if he was trying to persuade his mother or himself that this was a good match. If you weren't sure, yourself, you were after reading about Tod having to tell Nelson he would have to stop his flirting (with other women) after they were married. Red Flag (FLASHING)! I figure this marriage was doomed from the beginning. I'm just amazed Tod held on as long as she did. After all, she, too, was from an influential family.
Under New York’s divorce laws, unchanged since the 18th century, the only justification for dissolving a marital union was adultery. This compelled Tod to assert her claim of extreme mental cruelty in … Reno, NV, but first she had to establish legal residence by spending at least six weeks, there.
The sudden death of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (Nelson's mother) made a HUGE impact on Nelson's life.
Also, later, when his father passed, his death effectively removed any restraints on Nelson's political or personal life.
It is Nelson’s grandfather, John D. Rockefeller that is buried in Lakeview Cemetery, in Cleveland (across from President Garfield’s tomb). A brief description of the funeral / burial can be found on p126.
Business / Political Perspectives:
“Throughout the World today the rights of the individual or corporation to possess property are being challenged … if we wish to continue our present system of individual initiative and private ownership, management must conduct its affairs with a sense of moral and social responsibility in such a way as to contribute to the general welfare of society.” – Nelson A. Rockefeller, remarks to the 1937 annual meeting, Standard Oil of New Jersey. The same can be said, today.
Rockefeller was sometimes shrewd or keen in his business dealings. He learned a lot by doing and once he learned something, he not only retained the information, but he made sure to put it into regular practice. One principle that he learned was, “Human dignity, respect, is far more important than a lot of economic prerequisites.”
Rockefeller had a quick wit, which sometimes served him well, and at other times, got him into trouble (p481)
When he decided to run for office, he went after the governorship of New York. He spent 15 years in office (1959-1973), before eventually becoming Vice President (appointed and then vetted by Congress) under Gerald Ford. It was during his time as governor that he had his affair with Happy. Some say this, along with his divorce from Tod, doomed his presidential aspirations.
Rockefeller always aspired to become president. For various and sundry reasons (you’ll have to read the book to learn more) he was unsuccessful in this goal.
Some of the information surrounding Rockefeller and his candidacy for governor reminded me of Donald Trump and his quest for the presidency. Rockefeller’s advisors said most politicians have to be built up; Nelson had to be “brought down” to the level of the common man.
However, as governor of New York, a lot happened under his watch. As a matter of fact, when he was running for re-election in 1966, he had already done so much for New York that it was tough to pinpoint EXACTLY what he had done.
Some things that took place during his governorship: the New York City Garbage Strike, the Attica Prison Riot (In this case, I think (like many politicians) Rockefeller liked the power, but he didn’t want to be the one to pull the trigger. Here, he had to pull the trigger (make the call)). He also was responsible for the South Mall aka Empire State Plaza, the Urban Development Corporation, doing things for SUNY, and the World Trade Center. Rockefeller saved the World Trade Center from fiscal disaster by making the State of New York the principal tenant of the 110-story South Tower.
As he was departing as governor, Rockefeller invoked a round of holiday season commutations. One of these was 52-year old Edward Young, an Attica inmate who had testified to impressive effect before the McKay Commission. Again, you’ll have to read the book to read the history about the Attica Prison Riot and learn why (I thought) Rockefeller pardoning anyone from this event was a huge act of kindness.
Rockefeller’s political relationship with George Romney (Mitt’s father) was most interesting.
The other names that came up in this political era were equally intriguing. The impact these men made in later decades … Regan, Rumsfeld, Cheney, George H.W. Bush, and Edward Mezvinsky (further research on my part confirmed that this is (as I thought) Chelsea Clinton’s father-in-law). The most surprising name that I ran across? Pat Buchanan was a young speechwriter for Richard Nixon.
Upon Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination, Rockefeller stated, “The true memorial to Martin Luther King cannot be made of stone. It must be made of action.” From here, Rockefeller dispatched two gentlemen, backed by Rockefeller’s checkbook, to go to Atlanta, to help Coretta King make funeral arrangements for her husband. Much of this information was not released until after Rockefeller’s death. Amazingly, he did not want what he was doing to be used to benefit anyone’s political agenda.
After
In the end, I was amazed by how quickly Rockefeller went from vibrant politician to “old man” Rockefeller. He was a powerful and dynamic person while at the height of his life, but when this finished, so was he. There were questions surrounding his death. He did die at the home of his latest mistress (?). Happy always believed it was because he did not want to die in front of her and their children. She believes (based on Rockefeller’s actions that day) that he died in much the same was as his mother.
I believe the testimony of those around him is what caused questions to be asked in the first place.
Fascinating.
This was a very interesting biography, but it was extremely difficult to separate the personal from the political as they were often intertwined. The story starts from before Rockefeller's birth and goes to just beyond his death.
Some interesting things that I learned:
Personal Perspective:
Rockefeller's father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. aka Junior, divided the world into two classes of people: "leaners and holders-up." Fearing that his children would be spoiled by money, Junior devised a system of rewards wherein cash was doled out to the most charitable or dutiful of his offspring. If you rebelled (like his daughter, Babs), you basically got nothing.
Many people believe that Happy was his wife, and she was, but she wasn't his FIRST wife. Rockefeller was married to Tod (short for Todhunter -- her middle name) for over 30 years before officially (finally) giving her up for his mistress, Happy. By the way, Happy had worked for Rockefeller (Rocky) before becoming romantically involved with him.
Rockefeller wasn’t the only one with a spouse and children (5); Happy was also married and had four children when their affair began. The price of her divorce was no less than the custody of her four children, the youngest of who was four. There was also a question about the paternity of this youngest child – you’ll have to read the book to learn more!
Nelson liked women; he liked to surround himself with women. As with Happy, if he really liked a woman, he would have her moved from one position within his organization to a place much closer to his office. Happy was not the first; nor would she be the last.
Going back to Tod, when he was first describing her attributes to his beloved mother, Abby, I wondered if he was selecting a horse. Also I wasn't sure if he was trying to persuade his mother or himself that this was a good match. If you weren't sure, yourself, you were after reading about Tod having to tell Nelson he would have to stop his flirting (with other women) after they were married. Red Flag (FLASHING)! I figure this marriage was doomed from the beginning. I'm just amazed Tod held on as long as she did. After all, she, too, was from an influential family.
Under New York’s divorce laws, unchanged since the 18th century, the only justification for dissolving a marital union was adultery. This compelled Tod to assert her claim of extreme mental cruelty in … Reno, NV, but first she had to establish legal residence by spending at least six weeks, there.
The sudden death of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (Nelson's mother) made a HUGE impact on Nelson's life.
Also, later, when his father passed, his death effectively removed any restraints on Nelson's political or personal life.
It is Nelson’s grandfather, John D. Rockefeller that is buried in Lakeview Cemetery, in Cleveland (across from President Garfield’s tomb). A brief description of the funeral / burial can be found on p126.
Business / Political Perspectives:
“Throughout the World today the rights of the individual or corporation to possess property are being challenged … if we wish to continue our present system of individual initiative and private ownership, management must conduct its affairs with a sense of moral and social responsibility in such a way as to contribute to the general welfare of society.” – Nelson A. Rockefeller, remarks to the 1937 annual meeting, Standard Oil of New Jersey. The same can be said, today.
Rockefeller was sometimes shrewd or keen in his business dealings. He learned a lot by doing and once he learned something, he not only retained the information, but he made sure to put it into regular practice. One principle that he learned was, “Human dignity, respect, is far more important than a lot of economic prerequisites.”
Rockefeller had a quick wit, which sometimes served him well, and at other times, got him into trouble (p481)
When he decided to run for office, he went after the governorship of New York. He spent 15 years in office (1959-1973), before eventually becoming Vice President (appointed and then vetted by Congress) under Gerald Ford. It was during his time as governor that he had his affair with Happy. Some say this, along with his divorce from Tod, doomed his presidential aspirations.
Rockefeller always aspired to become president. For various and sundry reasons (you’ll have to read the book to learn more) he was unsuccessful in this goal.
Some of the information surrounding Rockefeller and his candidacy for governor reminded me of Donald Trump and his quest for the presidency. Rockefeller’s advisors said most politicians have to be built up; Nelson had to be “brought down” to the level of the common man.
However, as governor of New York, a lot happened under his watch. As a matter of fact, when he was running for re-election in 1966, he had already done so much for New York that it was tough to pinpoint EXACTLY what he had done.
Some things that took place during his governorship: the New York City Garbage Strike, the Attica Prison Riot (In this case, I think (like many politicians) Rockefeller liked the power, but he didn’t want to be the one to pull the trigger. Here, he had to pull the trigger (make the call)). He also was responsible for the South Mall aka Empire State Plaza, the Urban Development Corporation, doing things for SUNY, and the World Trade Center. Rockefeller saved the World Trade Center from fiscal disaster by making the State of New York the principal tenant of the 110-story South Tower.
As he was departing as governor, Rockefeller invoked a round of holiday season commutations. One of these was 52-year old Edward Young, an Attica inmate who had testified to impressive effect before the McKay Commission. Again, you’ll have to read the book to read the history about the Attica Prison Riot and learn why (I thought) Rockefeller pardoning anyone from this event was a huge act of kindness.
Rockefeller’s political relationship with George Romney (Mitt’s father) was most interesting.
The other names that came up in this political era were equally intriguing. The impact these men made in later decades … Regan, Rumsfeld, Cheney, George H.W. Bush, and Edward Mezvinsky (further research on my part confirmed that this is (as I thought) Chelsea Clinton’s father-in-law). The most surprising name that I ran across? Pat Buchanan was a young speechwriter for Richard Nixon.
Upon Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination, Rockefeller stated, “The true memorial to Martin Luther King cannot be made of stone. It must be made of action.” From here, Rockefeller dispatched two gentlemen, backed by Rockefeller’s checkbook, to go to Atlanta, to help Coretta King make funeral arrangements for her husband. Much of this information was not released until after Rockefeller’s death. Amazingly, he did not want what he was doing to be used to benefit anyone’s political agenda.
After
In the end, I was amazed by how quickly Rockefeller went from vibrant politician to “old man” Rockefeller. He was a powerful and dynamic person while at the height of his life, but when this finished, so was he. There were questions surrounding his death. He did die at the home of his latest mistress (?). Happy always believed it was because he did not want to die in front of her and their children. She believes (based on Rockefeller’s actions that day) that he died in much the same was as his mother.
I believe the testimony of those around him is what caused questions to be asked in the first place.
Fascinating.
December 6, 2022
A well-researched and detailed look at the life of Nelson Rockefeller. A true American statesman, he was a giant in New York politics and life. A man who was just a step too late to really contest the presidency, Rockefeller was a man who lived by his convictions and really had a vision for America that he never got to live out. As for the biography, very, very detailed. Mr. Smith leaves no stone unturned as he takes us through the life of Rocky. Every detail of his life is covered, and we get to see the inner working of Nelsons mind as well as all the behind-the-scenes stuff that few get to see in standard biographies. Fantastic book on an unsung American hero.
April 30, 2016
This is an exhaustive look at the political career of one of the 20th century's also rans. Nelson Rockefeller made three half hearted attempts at the presidency between 1960-1968 as he watched his party gradually give up its status as the party of Lincoln for the party of Strom Thurmond. Rockefeller managed to acquire a progressive legacy, while at the same time earning the ire of the members of his party who thought it to "better dead than red."
America clearly was not ready for a president who bought Picassos and it may never be. Rockefeller grew up in a life as rarefied as any in America. His father gave a sense of public obligation and his mother an aesthetic curiosity that endured for the rest of his life. Rockefeller was involved in venture capitalism in Latin America, artistic controversies at Rockefeller Center, enacting "the Good Neighbor Policy" as a member of FDR's State Department, and public welfare under Eisenhower before serving as governor of New York and Republican Party power broker for four terms.
Rockefeller's vision for the Republican Party, with its emphasis on civil rights was out of step with the direction of the party and while the author of this biography tends to place the blame on Rockefeller's divorce and remarriage (life events that did not harm the career of his rival for the presidency Ronald Reagan), one has to wonder just how valid this really was. It is one of the great unfortunate events of 20th century politics that members of the establishment, such as Rockefeller made only half-hearted efforts to halt Goldwater's nomination in 1964, and Nixon's in 1968. Both events in retrospect signaled the end of the Republican Party's respectability.
Smith's narrative of Rockefeller's first three terms are devoted to revenue to pay for state programs and Rockefeller's attempts to remake the state with an emphasis on higher education, transpiration, public works, and ecology. For the most part, these efforts were largely successful. I think Smith might have devoted more effort to the removal of Robert Moses, who had been a force in state politics since the time of Governor Al Smith.
Rockefeller's fourth term as governor was probably his worst period in public life, both in terms of legacy and actions. It was the time of the lengthy mandatory sentences for drugs (which to be fair were passed in the midst of frustrating rises in crime) and Attica.
Rockefeller's two year tenure as Vice President was every bit as unpleasant as could be imagined with the extra added irritant of having to deal with Donald Rumsfield on a regular basis. Public service rarely has extracted greater penalties or costs.
This is a highly detailed, dense, revealing and definitive book on Rockefeller and I think Richard Norton Smith does a fine job exploring his strengths and weaknesses.
America clearly was not ready for a president who bought Picassos and it may never be. Rockefeller grew up in a life as rarefied as any in America. His father gave a sense of public obligation and his mother an aesthetic curiosity that endured for the rest of his life. Rockefeller was involved in venture capitalism in Latin America, artistic controversies at Rockefeller Center, enacting "the Good Neighbor Policy" as a member of FDR's State Department, and public welfare under Eisenhower before serving as governor of New York and Republican Party power broker for four terms.
Rockefeller's vision for the Republican Party, with its emphasis on civil rights was out of step with the direction of the party and while the author of this biography tends to place the blame on Rockefeller's divorce and remarriage (life events that did not harm the career of his rival for the presidency Ronald Reagan), one has to wonder just how valid this really was. It is one of the great unfortunate events of 20th century politics that members of the establishment, such as Rockefeller made only half-hearted efforts to halt Goldwater's nomination in 1964, and Nixon's in 1968. Both events in retrospect signaled the end of the Republican Party's respectability.
Smith's narrative of Rockefeller's first three terms are devoted to revenue to pay for state programs and Rockefeller's attempts to remake the state with an emphasis on higher education, transpiration, public works, and ecology. For the most part, these efforts were largely successful. I think Smith might have devoted more effort to the removal of Robert Moses, who had been a force in state politics since the time of Governor Al Smith.
Rockefeller's fourth term as governor was probably his worst period in public life, both in terms of legacy and actions. It was the time of the lengthy mandatory sentences for drugs (which to be fair were passed in the midst of frustrating rises in crime) and Attica.
Rockefeller's two year tenure as Vice President was every bit as unpleasant as could be imagined with the extra added irritant of having to deal with Donald Rumsfield on a regular basis. Public service rarely has extracted greater penalties or costs.
This is a highly detailed, dense, revealing and definitive book on Rockefeller and I think Richard Norton Smith does a fine job exploring his strengths and weaknesses.
December 27, 2014
What a roller coaster of a book. Starts out very good and then there are about 200 pages that are really dull and need editing. Skip through the wartime section and you will be rewarded with a highly informative and interesting read. Rockefeller was a complex man and a contradiction. He was so enlightened in his attitudes toward civil rights, urban renewal, art and Latin America, yet he was also imperious, petty and conniving.
At times it seems like a school assignment rather than a book I willingly chose to read. It seems like the author felt he had to document everything. I think it's one of those cases where he's going for a Pulitzer rather than producing a book with mass appeal.
If you are interested in New York politics and the Rockefeller family a definite good read.
At times it seems like a school assignment rather than a book I willingly chose to read. It seems like the author felt he had to document everything. I think it's one of those cases where he's going for a Pulitzer rather than producing a book with mass appeal.
If you are interested in New York politics and the Rockefeller family a definite good read.
December 17, 2015
Wow. What an incredible work on an incredible man. I highly recommend this book to every student of American history, politics and anyone interested in how life should be lived. He was a man with feet of clay, to be sure, but he was certainly a visionary with a view of how life should be for all Americans.
It was my privilege to hear Dr. Smith speak about his subject and his book late last year. He truly respects the Governor and understands him. It was my privilege to grow up in a state shaped by his vision. I now truly appreciate him. I mourne for what might have been if he had been backed by his party. More fool they.
It was my privilege to hear Dr. Smith speak about his subject and his book late last year. He truly respects the Governor and understands him. It was my privilege to grow up in a state shaped by his vision. I now truly appreciate him. I mourne for what might have been if he had been backed by his party. More fool they.
October 29, 2018
A biography of Nelson Rockefeller is not something I would have ever picked out for myself, but this got selected for a quarterly book club, and I looked forward to it. The reviews were good, it came highly recommended from some folks I trust, and it would plug a gap in my historical/political knowledge.
But I hated this book. The author did a heroic job researching hundreds and thousands of details of Nelson Rockefeller's life, but the resulting 720-page tome was a tedious slog to read.
First, although the author's research was encyclopedic in a good way, the presentation of that research was encyclopedic in a bad way. Page after page just lists hundred of facts about Rockefeller in something approaching chronological order, with very little attempt to synthesize those facts into bigger themes. The biographies I've really enjoyed typically try to make sense of someone's life, showing how things early in life presaged or influenced later events. There's always a risk of overdetermining that kind of narrative, but Richard Norton Smith takes the opposite approach and offers almost nothing other than a recitation of events.
Second, and relatedly, there's very little effort to put Nelson Rockefeller's life in the context of the environment and history in which he lived. One small exception is the beginning of chapter ten, which takes a step back to survey the political, economic, and cultural dominance of New York in 1945 (e.g., "The island of Manhattan sent more representatives to Congress than did Florida."). I would have liked much more of that in the book. But instead, for most of its prodigious running length, the camera remains claustrophobically focused on Rockefeller, with very little commentary on the surrounding world except to the extent he interacted with it.
Third, despite the avalanche of facts and narrow focus, the author occasionally decides to assume reader familiarity with key events or people in Rockefeller's history. For example, much of the first section of the book is devoted to the minutiae of Rockefeller's art; pages and pages mention by name various sculptures and paintings he collected (with the reader, presumably, left to google them if interested). Then comes an episode where Rockefeller and his father have a disagreement over a fresco painting at the RCA building, where the author says, "What happened next has been described many times, but never satisfactorily explained. Traditional accounts pit a brilliant man-child against the callow, if not spineless, scion of wealth." It's all very useless for readers not up to speed on the "traditional accounts" of early 1930s art disputes.
Fourth, even the organization of the narrative is fairly haphazard. The book runs roughly linearly, and helpfully breaks up the 30-40 page chapters into smaller subsections. But those subsections (and the paragraphs within them) are not thematically well-organized. A paragraph about something involving politics will be followed by a paragraph describing marital troubles will be followed by a paragraph about a business deal. And even the way material is sorted into individual paragraphs sometimes has no apparent rhyme or reason—the paragraphs frequently seem to be arbitrary segregations of 100-150 words blocks, rather than as organized thematic units. I appreciate editing a book of this length and density must be a Herculean task, but I have read plenty of other similarly long and detailed biographies that did not suffer from these problems.
Fifth, and finally, I went into the book knowing nothing about its subject, and every new detail I learned about Nelson Rockefeller caused me to despise him even more. I have enjoyed biographies about people that I generally dislike/disagree with (e.g., Jim Newton's "Justice for All" about Earl Warren). But it was tough to find anything redeeming or inspiring about the details of Rockefeller's life; he was born with every privilege a man could have (aside from his dyslexia) and squandered it being an awful husband, serial philanderer, absentee father, workaholic, big-government-and-abortion-on-demand "Republican" obsessed with (yet failing at) becoming president. If there is any value in his story, it is as a cautionary tale about hubris and the limits of man.
I would imagine one takeaway the author had in mind was a sad reflection on the "radicalization" of the Republican party, and the falling away of the era of "Rockefeller Republicans." But based on what I learned here—and the nearly complete failure of the namesake of that approach—I am happy to say "good riddance."
To conclude: If you are already really interested in Nelson Rockefeller, I would imagine this is a vital biography for learning endless details about him. But for a general audience, strongly recommend against.
But I hated this book. The author did a heroic job researching hundreds and thousands of details of Nelson Rockefeller's life, but the resulting 720-page tome was a tedious slog to read.
First, although the author's research was encyclopedic in a good way, the presentation of that research was encyclopedic in a bad way. Page after page just lists hundred of facts about Rockefeller in something approaching chronological order, with very little attempt to synthesize those facts into bigger themes. The biographies I've really enjoyed typically try to make sense of someone's life, showing how things early in life presaged or influenced later events. There's always a risk of overdetermining that kind of narrative, but Richard Norton Smith takes the opposite approach and offers almost nothing other than a recitation of events.
Second, and relatedly, there's very little effort to put Nelson Rockefeller's life in the context of the environment and history in which he lived. One small exception is the beginning of chapter ten, which takes a step back to survey the political, economic, and cultural dominance of New York in 1945 (e.g., "The island of Manhattan sent more representatives to Congress than did Florida."). I would have liked much more of that in the book. But instead, for most of its prodigious running length, the camera remains claustrophobically focused on Rockefeller, with very little commentary on the surrounding world except to the extent he interacted with it.
Third, despite the avalanche of facts and narrow focus, the author occasionally decides to assume reader familiarity with key events or people in Rockefeller's history. For example, much of the first section of the book is devoted to the minutiae of Rockefeller's art; pages and pages mention by name various sculptures and paintings he collected (with the reader, presumably, left to google them if interested). Then comes an episode where Rockefeller and his father have a disagreement over a fresco painting at the RCA building, where the author says, "What happened next has been described many times, but never satisfactorily explained. Traditional accounts pit a brilliant man-child against the callow, if not spineless, scion of wealth." It's all very useless for readers not up to speed on the "traditional accounts" of early 1930s art disputes.
Fourth, even the organization of the narrative is fairly haphazard. The book runs roughly linearly, and helpfully breaks up the 30-40 page chapters into smaller subsections. But those subsections (and the paragraphs within them) are not thematically well-organized. A paragraph about something involving politics will be followed by a paragraph describing marital troubles will be followed by a paragraph about a business deal. And even the way material is sorted into individual paragraphs sometimes has no apparent rhyme or reason—the paragraphs frequently seem to be arbitrary segregations of 100-150 words blocks, rather than as organized thematic units. I appreciate editing a book of this length and density must be a Herculean task, but I have read plenty of other similarly long and detailed biographies that did not suffer from these problems.
Fifth, and finally, I went into the book knowing nothing about its subject, and every new detail I learned about Nelson Rockefeller caused me to despise him even more. I have enjoyed biographies about people that I generally dislike/disagree with (e.g., Jim Newton's "Justice for All" about Earl Warren). But it was tough to find anything redeeming or inspiring about the details of Rockefeller's life; he was born with every privilege a man could have (aside from his dyslexia) and squandered it being an awful husband, serial philanderer, absentee father, workaholic, big-government-and-abortion-on-demand "Republican" obsessed with (yet failing at) becoming president. If there is any value in his story, it is as a cautionary tale about hubris and the limits of man.
I would imagine one takeaway the author had in mind was a sad reflection on the "radicalization" of the Republican party, and the falling away of the era of "Rockefeller Republicans." But based on what I learned here—and the nearly complete failure of the namesake of that approach—I am happy to say "good riddance."
To conclude: If you are already really interested in Nelson Rockefeller, I would imagine this is a vital biography for learning endless details about him. But for a general audience, strongly recommend against.
September 15, 2016
What to say about Nelson Rockefeller?
Who came to Rocky's memorial service: 2200 mourners.
Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, 40 US Senators, an even larger delegation of House members, the Secretary General of the UN, representatives from 44 nations, the widows of Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Mayors Koch, Lindsay, and Wagner, a retired Pocantico houseman, Agnes Roosa(widow of a carpenter on Rocky's estate), Barry Goldwater. All for a Governor and Vice President?
He worked in the FDR administration, Truman administration, had the ear of every President. He had the "vision thing".
He was a patrician who entered politics for the right reasons. He was a giant. He could have been President if he had only changed parties. I am not sure the office of POTUS could hold his immense talent, vision and stamina. He might have been to large even for that office. Some might say his biggest political mistake in life was not changing political parties. He certainly would have had a place in the the Democratic Party. His constituency was minorities, organized labor and its members. As Governor he was well ahead of his time on social and environmental policy.
He is, actually, one of my political heroes. And was long before I read this book.
He was a patron of The Arts. A huge art collector. Built MOMA. And took his artwork with him to grace the walls of every office in every agency he ever inhabited. There were some passages in the book about his passion for art and the time and effort he spent arranging them on his walls that would just bring a chuckle as I was reading.
Author Richard Norton Smith does mention his womanizing. He made no excuses for it and presented it as a fact. It was mentioned without being lurid. This was not a "tell-all" book.
If you are a political junkie, this is a must read book. I remember Rocky, the politician. Grew up in his era. Could be one of the last of the great retail politicians.
Who came to Rocky's memorial service: 2200 mourners.
Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, 40 US Senators, an even larger delegation of House members, the Secretary General of the UN, representatives from 44 nations, the widows of Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Mayors Koch, Lindsay, and Wagner, a retired Pocantico houseman, Agnes Roosa(widow of a carpenter on Rocky's estate), Barry Goldwater. All for a Governor and Vice President?
He worked in the FDR administration, Truman administration, had the ear of every President. He had the "vision thing".
He was a patrician who entered politics for the right reasons. He was a giant. He could have been President if he had only changed parties. I am not sure the office of POTUS could hold his immense talent, vision and stamina. He might have been to large even for that office. Some might say his biggest political mistake in life was not changing political parties. He certainly would have had a place in the the Democratic Party. His constituency was minorities, organized labor and its members. As Governor he was well ahead of his time on social and environmental policy.
He is, actually, one of my political heroes. And was long before I read this book.
He was a patron of The Arts. A huge art collector. Built MOMA. And took his artwork with him to grace the walls of every office in every agency he ever inhabited. There were some passages in the book about his passion for art and the time and effort he spent arranging them on his walls that would just bring a chuckle as I was reading.
Author Richard Norton Smith does mention his womanizing. He made no excuses for it and presented it as a fact. It was mentioned without being lurid. This was not a "tell-all" book.
If you are a political junkie, this is a must read book. I remember Rocky, the politician. Grew up in his era. Could be one of the last of the great retail politicians.
August 19, 2015
Richard Norton Smith’s On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller is thoroughly researched and comprehensive -- perhaps a little too comprehensive. With over 700 pages of relatively small print, it seemed to take me forever to finish. I found interesting those accounts of Rockefeller’s failed bid for the Republican nomination for President in 1964, the infamous Attica Prison uprising, his selection as Vice-President under Ford, and the scandalous circumstances of his death. However, much of the minutia in between could have been pared down.
I am old enough to remember Rockefeller’s 1964 run for the Presidency. I was one of the Students for Rockefeller, and actually met him in person when he visited our campus at San Diego State. I agree with Smith’s assessment of his personality. Nobody was too lowly for his attention whether a gardener, elevator operator, or a young student.
On a few occasions I stumbled on Smith’s prose, and had to go back and reread more carefully. Richard Smith also enjoys sprinkling some infrequently encountered vocabulary into his work such as sui generis, anodyne, avuncular, synergy, volte-face, jeremiad, coterie and putative. It might increase one’s “word power” if one took the time to look up such words in a dictionary, but probably the average reader would like to finish the book someday.
I am old enough to remember Rockefeller’s 1964 run for the Presidency. I was one of the Students for Rockefeller, and actually met him in person when he visited our campus at San Diego State. I agree with Smith’s assessment of his personality. Nobody was too lowly for his attention whether a gardener, elevator operator, or a young student.
On a few occasions I stumbled on Smith’s prose, and had to go back and reread more carefully. Richard Smith also enjoys sprinkling some infrequently encountered vocabulary into his work such as sui generis, anodyne, avuncular, synergy, volte-face, jeremiad, coterie and putative. It might increase one’s “word power” if one took the time to look up such words in a dictionary, but probably the average reader would like to finish the book someday.
May 6, 2017
So much more interesting than I had ever imagined: his childhood as a Rockefeller with parents who really cared and were actually principled and service oriented; his teenage years as a student at the progressive New Lincoln school on the Upper Westside where he dove into topics of interest with gusto; his Dartmouth years when he began to fully embrace the arts ... On through his tenure as governor and generator of big government -- for better (health care, parks systems, environmental protection) and worse (Albany Mall, anyone?) and sporadic attempts at winning the Republican nomination for president ... to his waning, still active twilight years. Womanizer (but God, who wasn't?), idealist, macho embracer of Latino culture, energizer, forward looking visionary, and one who used money without a second thought when it could advance his goals, adding sweeteners to government salaries to bring in talent, supporting civil rights with suitcases of cash behind closed doors, hiring a fleet of planes to search for his lost son Michael, bringing Mexican art to Dartmouth College. Readable, accurate, detailed, this biography captures this very full figure with living and breathing vividness. Well worth reading for anyone interested in 20th century politics.
February 28, 2015
This is a well written and engrossing biography of one of the great leaders of New York in the middle of the last century. Of course Rocky was much more than the governor of New York having connections to national as well as international power. Ro0cky was a complicated man in complicated times. A liberal republican at the time when the party was veering sharply to the right. A man who would have been much more comfortable as a democrat but would not change because the family had always been republican.
Although the author tries to clear up some of the controversy surrounding Rocky's death there are still unanswered questions. those questions may eventually be answered when the last remaining players of the night pass from the earth. My own opinion is that Rocky died just the way he wanted to and may well have made it clear to those there not to do anything to save him until it was too late. Based on the title of the book I'm surprised the author did not come to that conclusion himself.
Although the author tries to clear up some of the controversy surrounding Rocky's death there are still unanswered questions. those questions may eventually be answered when the last remaining players of the night pass from the earth. My own opinion is that Rocky died just the way he wanted to and may well have made it clear to those there not to do anything to save him until it was too late. Based on the title of the book I'm surprised the author did not come to that conclusion himself.
January 24, 2015
Simply a fantastic new bio of a driven, egotistic man who, for all his faults, managed to do a lot of political and social good. Smith lays out in detail Rocky's rise within his siblings, his attachment to FDR as a surrogate father of sorts, his later service in appointive politics and his decision to reach for the sun of elective office himself by running for governor.
Then, of course, came a breach in the dam of marital discord, Happy, and more.
The "more"? While maintaining a certain discreetness, Smith shows us that Rocky had nothing to learn from the likes of a JFK in the art of skirt-chasing — other than, perhaps, per a bon mot from Jack that he couldn't understand Rocky putting a particular woman ahead of his political future.
Given that his marriage to Happy didn't stop the skirt-chasing — even up to the last day of his life — how interesting.
That's just the tip of the iceberg of a great, great book.
Then, of course, came a breach in the dam of marital discord, Happy, and more.
The "more"? While maintaining a certain discreetness, Smith shows us that Rocky had nothing to learn from the likes of a JFK in the art of skirt-chasing — other than, perhaps, per a bon mot from Jack that he couldn't understand Rocky putting a particular woman ahead of his political future.
Given that his marriage to Happy didn't stop the skirt-chasing — even up to the last day of his life — how interesting.
That's just the tip of the iceberg of a great, great book.
December 8, 2014
For the most part, a pretty solid biography of a major force in American history who had nearly been forgotten by most. The opening chapter is by far the best in the book as Smith effectively dramatizes Rockefeller's appearance at the 1964 convention. The rest of the book is indeed interesting, if a bit gossipy at times, and certainly paints a vivid picture of a brilliant man constantly in motion. Rockefeller's dyslexia is treated with sensitivity, and serves to remind us that even the wealthy can't escape human imperfections. The end of the book, where Smith narrates the Keystone Kop events surrounding Rockefeller's death, are chaotically written, as if the author didn't have the time or energy to make sense of the mess. I would go four stars had it not been for a deeply unsatisfying finish.
December 3, 2014
I received a review copy of this book.
This biography of Nelson Rockefeller definitely made me nostalgic for a species of Republican who was broad-minded, cultured and unashamed of having a social conscience. In spite of dyslexia and a bad memory for names (both of which seem like serious hindrances to a political career), Nelson Rockefeller worked incredibly hard and also managed somehow to at least seem to have some affinity for the common man. I enjoyed becoming reacquainted with his story. But this biography was definitely "exhaustive." While I appreciate the research and broad knowledge that underlines this story, I do wish that the author or the editor had made some choices and condensed this into a smaller volume.
This biography of Nelson Rockefeller definitely made me nostalgic for a species of Republican who was broad-minded, cultured and unashamed of having a social conscience. In spite of dyslexia and a bad memory for names (both of which seem like serious hindrances to a political career), Nelson Rockefeller worked incredibly hard and also managed somehow to at least seem to have some affinity for the common man. I enjoyed becoming reacquainted with his story. But this biography was definitely "exhaustive." While I appreciate the research and broad knowledge that underlines this story, I do wish that the author or the editor had made some choices and condensed this into a smaller volume.
April 7, 2018
I always enjoy a book when I don’t really know anything about the person and it seems fresh. I knew the name Nelson Rockefeller but that was about it. The grandson of John D, he was a four time governor of New York and the Vice President under Ford.
He had a long career in politics and in the art world. The circumstances of his death were quite interesting. The book was a little tedious at times especially at 880 pages but for a political junkie such as myself, well worth it.
We could probably use a Nelson Rockefeller in these times especially since he was a liberal republican.
Good read.
He had a long career in politics and in the art world. The circumstances of his death were quite interesting. The book was a little tedious at times especially at 880 pages but for a political junkie such as myself, well worth it.
We could probably use a Nelson Rockefeller in these times especially since he was a liberal republican.
Good read.
July 6, 2016
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
They say every biographer grows to either love or hate their subject. It is obvious on the first page that Smith loved Nelson Rockefeller. It comes out on every page of this exhaustive, (and exhausting) biography.
I'm not sure the time will change any minds about Nelson Rockefeller, but it does give a look into his mind and motives, giving a nearly complete look of a man who hid his true self from everyone.
They say every biographer grows to either love or hate their subject. It is obvious on the first page that Smith loved Nelson Rockefeller. It comes out on every page of this exhaustive, (and exhausting) biography.
I'm not sure the time will change any minds about Nelson Rockefeller, but it does give a look into his mind and motives, giving a nearly complete look of a man who hid his true self from everyone.
May 7, 2015
Exhaustive, granular account of Rockefeller's life, over a decade in the creation. The book gives Rocky credit for his progressive ideas but does not shy away from criticism of his personal lifestyle or revisionist views of his ideas and policies. A must read for anyone who wants to flesh out their understanding of Republican politics in the sixties.
September 3, 2014
I went into the book not knowing anything about nelson but now I feel like I could pass any test about great book to read I recommend to everyone thank you goodreads for allowing me to go on this journey
November 13, 2017
Review to come
July 12, 2020
A good book, providing a detailed biography of Nelson Rockefeller and his impact on late 20th century American politics. I did not truly understand what a “Rockefeller Republican” was until I read this book. The author is very detailed, not just about “Rocky’s” political career but his entire life. Born into the uber-wealthy Rockefeller Family, Nelson had a wide range of interests. His love of art and architecture were, according to the author, more potent than his interests in politics. In addition, throughout his life, Nelson was always a Rockefeller first, intently involved in his family’s interests and foundations. In fact, his approach to politics was hampered, or helped, depending on the point of view, by these competing other interests. The author makes a strong case that, even in the best of times, Nelson never really devoted his full energy to his political career. This may come as a surprise to those who remember a 4-term governor of New York and a dominant figure on the national stage in the 1960s and early 1970s. But this theory does explain Nelson’s ability to ‘buck trends’ and stick to his own philosophy of politics. His approach to political life was very “Disraelian”, presenting a symbiotic conservatism increasingly unique in his own time and which spawned an eponymous definition. A member of the business class who embraced the rationale for the New Deal and was a strong advocate for Civil Rights, he was able to maneuver to the left of many of his Democratic opponents. But his push for balanced budgets and a solid law-and-order stance kept him in the Republican Party, despite many overtures from Democrats (from FDR to Humphrey) to switch. The precarious financial state of NY after his 12 years in office, the stain of Attica, and his inability to stop an always half-hearted attempt at the Presidency has marred his reputation. It was this post-life retrospective that was most lacking from the book. The author does not bring forth a love for its subject, Nelson’s notorious adulteries and free use of money are not whitewashed. But he does explain a dominant figure in, and thus sheds more light on, the post-WWII era in America. Highly recommended for those wanting to learn more about the best remembered and most influential of the Rockefellers.
April 18, 2020
Yeah, I know 3 months to read this one. The first book of 2020 and I doted on it, reading a few pages at a time. Mainly because I lived in Upstate New York during Rocky's reign as Governor I wanted to relive those days remembering the words and political wisdom that I heard from my family, friends, teachers, and acquaintances. Also, I had a number of chance encounters with the man. First being that I sold newspapers at the Great New York State Fair every year from 1964-1966. One year I was able to work my way into the crowd following him from one exhibit area to another and at the most opportune moment asked if he wanted to buy a paper. "I sure do, young fella!" And took the newspaper from me and shook my hand. He turned to his wife Happy and asked: "Do you have any change?" I quickly replied, "It's only a Nickle sir." His wife reached into her purse, took out two brand new Kennedy half dollars and handed them to me, "Ma'm I can only take one of those. The paper is only 5 cents." Rocky leaned over and said, "One is for today and the other is for tomorrow. Just come and find us like you did today!" They got their newspaper the next day when they arrived at the Fair. I waited for them all morning.
July 23, 2024
Richard Norton Smith is one of the best biographers I have ever read and he does not disappoint with his excellent work on Nelson Rockefeller. A labor of love that also required Smith’s own financial commitment, the former VP and Governor of New York comes to life in this work. We meet Rockefeller, a man with boundless energy and a zest for life. Overcoming dyslexia, Rockefeller graduated from Dartmouth, starts a family, and soon works his way through the business world to head the completion of Rockefeller Center. Nelson Rockefeller then serves three Presidents and becomes a policy entrepreneur and a serious art collector. Eventually, he turns to electoral politics and governance, mastering the tough world of New York State politics to accomplish so much during his tenure. Falling short of the White House, his ultimate goal, he was frustrated during his tenure as Vice President. Enjoying art and business again, he died in 1979. Smith brings Rockefeller to life in this remarkable portrait that is a must read for anyone interested in 20th century American history. Rating: 4.75/5.
May 7, 2016
Such a terrific book on a political giant, who played an enormous role in American politics, and whose name and philosophy came to represent a major point of divide in the Republican Party. Author Richard Norton Smith immediately entices you by opening with Rockefeller getting booed off the stage at the 1964 GOP Convention, crystalizing the split in the GOP that continues to exist today. (A shout out to "Before the Storm" by Rick Perlstein, who covers the rise of Goldwater and the conservative takeover of the GOP)
In reading another review of this book I found a criticism that struck me as essentially correct: there is so much to write about that even at 800 plus pages a multi-volume effort would have allowed a more detailed look at some truly fascinating pieces of Rockefeller's life. As I started I hoped for additional detail on the Rockefeller/Robert Moses relationship, although it is covered. (Of course the Caro masterpiece "The Power Broker" gives plenty of detail)
Smith gives us a good overview of the personality and politics, with the major flaws not hidden, but balanced by much of the good parts of the overall record. He covers the family, Rockefeller's love and devotion to art, and of course the politics. For those that love the politics this is an area that could have used more, but what is there is just terrific. Rockefeller's stop and start effort to secure the 1960 GOP nomination showed the personal political flaws that were to remain with him in every one of his efforts to secure the Republican presidential nomination (1960, 1964, 1968). My own view is that 1968 could have been the year where the greatest potential existed for Rockefeller, but he was out-flanked and out thought by Nixon, starting in 1964, when Nixon campaigned tirelessly for the doomed Goldwater candidacy, and Rockefeller refused to do so. Nixon played the long game, and Rockefeller got caught up in the deep Party split that happened to the GOP in 1964. He never recovered his national footing, and his failure to achieve his life goal of being President weighed on him later in life, leading to some introspection and self criticism as he neared the end. The "mutation" that occurred in the GOP came just in time to derail Rockefeller on the national scene.
Looking at Rockefeller's efforts in 1960 the Goldwater wave of 1964 was just forming.
"The incident was nevertheless revealing of a top-down mentality driving the Rockefeller campaign to pursue Republican kingmakers, many of them barely able to stomach Theodore, much less Franklin, Roosevelt. At the time, his chilly reception was attributed to inferior organization and hardball tactics employed by Len Hall and other Nixon strategists. This overlooked something much larger, a mutation occurring within Republican ranks, as the party’s center of gravity shifted right and the polarizing emotions of the sixties evicted Eisenhower-style moderation."
And yes, there are similarities between yesterday and today. As that Goldwater wave started to become visible after the election of JFK, Kennedy observed: "....President Kennedy, in a Los Angeles visit coinciding with Rockefeller’s heartbreaking trip to New Guinea, to decry “those on the fringes of our society who have sought to escape their own responsibility by finding a simple solution, an appealing slogan, or a convenient scapegoat."
As Rockefeller looked to 1964 the wave hit, and the description rendered in this book, once again, shows the similarities to today.
"Nothing better illustrated the Rockefeller campaign’s outmoded approach toward winning Republican minds, let alone hearts. In many a boardroom and country club, 1964 boiled down to an unequal contest between Goldwater passion and Rockefeller prestige. So while Hinman cultivated his peers in the GOP hierarchy, below the radar, in precinct meetings and district conventions, an entirely new Republican electorate swarmed the barricades. It wasn’t the Eastern Establishment alone targeted for elimination by Clif White’s army; it was the Republican Establishment personified by all those lawyers and bankers and oil barons whose loyalty to their class, and to the social and cultural status quo, rendered them ideologically suspect to the emerging conservative movement."
Despite Rockefeller's failures at the national level Smith shows what a successful political Governor Rockefeller was in New York. As time wore on Rockefeller had major problems, which were covered, including the debacle at Attica. Rockefeller's move to the right is chronicled, and the internal contradictions that manifested themselves are shown expertly by the author. The author does not shy away from Rockefeller's womanizing, giving an unvarnished view of his personal foibles in this area, including coverage of his death.
Rockefeller served as Vice President to Gerald Ford, and that painful chapter is covered in detail, including his great animus towards a pair of Ford staffers named Cheney and Rumsfeld. Rockefeller's personal political failures as a national politician come through loud and clear, leading his friend President Ford to dump him from the ticket in favor of Bob Dole in 1976. That ignominious end brought the curtain down on Rockefeller's political career, and left him embittered. Much of the blame for his problems, despite the hostility of Cheney and Rumsfeld, belonged to Rockefeller, who could just not be a second banana.
I highly recommend this book, which is integral to understanding the political period that shaped much of what America is today. Rockefeller may not have succeeded in his ultimate goal, but he can be remembered as one of the giants of his era.
In reading another review of this book I found a criticism that struck me as essentially correct: there is so much to write about that even at 800 plus pages a multi-volume effort would have allowed a more detailed look at some truly fascinating pieces of Rockefeller's life. As I started I hoped for additional detail on the Rockefeller/Robert Moses relationship, although it is covered. (Of course the Caro masterpiece "The Power Broker" gives plenty of detail)
Smith gives us a good overview of the personality and politics, with the major flaws not hidden, but balanced by much of the good parts of the overall record. He covers the family, Rockefeller's love and devotion to art, and of course the politics. For those that love the politics this is an area that could have used more, but what is there is just terrific. Rockefeller's stop and start effort to secure the 1960 GOP nomination showed the personal political flaws that were to remain with him in every one of his efforts to secure the Republican presidential nomination (1960, 1964, 1968). My own view is that 1968 could have been the year where the greatest potential existed for Rockefeller, but he was out-flanked and out thought by Nixon, starting in 1964, when Nixon campaigned tirelessly for the doomed Goldwater candidacy, and Rockefeller refused to do so. Nixon played the long game, and Rockefeller got caught up in the deep Party split that happened to the GOP in 1964. He never recovered his national footing, and his failure to achieve his life goal of being President weighed on him later in life, leading to some introspection and self criticism as he neared the end. The "mutation" that occurred in the GOP came just in time to derail Rockefeller on the national scene.
Looking at Rockefeller's efforts in 1960 the Goldwater wave of 1964 was just forming.
"The incident was nevertheless revealing of a top-down mentality driving the Rockefeller campaign to pursue Republican kingmakers, many of them barely able to stomach Theodore, much less Franklin, Roosevelt. At the time, his chilly reception was attributed to inferior organization and hardball tactics employed by Len Hall and other Nixon strategists. This overlooked something much larger, a mutation occurring within Republican ranks, as the party’s center of gravity shifted right and the polarizing emotions of the sixties evicted Eisenhower-style moderation."
And yes, there are similarities between yesterday and today. As that Goldwater wave started to become visible after the election of JFK, Kennedy observed: "....President Kennedy, in a Los Angeles visit coinciding with Rockefeller’s heartbreaking trip to New Guinea, to decry “those on the fringes of our society who have sought to escape their own responsibility by finding a simple solution, an appealing slogan, or a convenient scapegoat."
As Rockefeller looked to 1964 the wave hit, and the description rendered in this book, once again, shows the similarities to today.
"Nothing better illustrated the Rockefeller campaign’s outmoded approach toward winning Republican minds, let alone hearts. In many a boardroom and country club, 1964 boiled down to an unequal contest between Goldwater passion and Rockefeller prestige. So while Hinman cultivated his peers in the GOP hierarchy, below the radar, in precinct meetings and district conventions, an entirely new Republican electorate swarmed the barricades. It wasn’t the Eastern Establishment alone targeted for elimination by Clif White’s army; it was the Republican Establishment personified by all those lawyers and bankers and oil barons whose loyalty to their class, and to the social and cultural status quo, rendered them ideologically suspect to the emerging conservative movement."
Despite Rockefeller's failures at the national level Smith shows what a successful political Governor Rockefeller was in New York. As time wore on Rockefeller had major problems, which were covered, including the debacle at Attica. Rockefeller's move to the right is chronicled, and the internal contradictions that manifested themselves are shown expertly by the author. The author does not shy away from Rockefeller's womanizing, giving an unvarnished view of his personal foibles in this area, including coverage of his death.
Rockefeller served as Vice President to Gerald Ford, and that painful chapter is covered in detail, including his great animus towards a pair of Ford staffers named Cheney and Rumsfeld. Rockefeller's personal political failures as a national politician come through loud and clear, leading his friend President Ford to dump him from the ticket in favor of Bob Dole in 1976. That ignominious end brought the curtain down on Rockefeller's political career, and left him embittered. Much of the blame for his problems, despite the hostility of Cheney and Rumsfeld, belonged to Rockefeller, who could just not be a second banana.
I highly recommend this book, which is integral to understanding the political period that shaped much of what America is today. Rockefeller may not have succeeded in his ultimate goal, but he can be remembered as one of the giants of his era.
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