Rockefeller, David

Rockefeller, David

(born June 12, 1915, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. banker and philanthropist. He was the grandson of John D. Rockefeller and brother of Nelson Rockefeller. After earning a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Chicago (1940) and serving in World War II (1942–45), he joined the staff of the Chase National Bank of New York in 1946. He became senior vice president in 1952 and effected the merger with the Bank of Manhattan Co. that resulted in the Chase Manhattan Bank (1955); he served as the bank's chairman of the board from 1969 to 1981. His speciality was international banking, and he was a familiar figure to ministers and heads of state of various countries around the world.

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Rockefeller, David (1915–  ) banker, philanthropist; born in New York City. A member of the famous and powerful family, brother of former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, he graduated from Harvard in 1936 and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago four years later. He was secretary to New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1940–41, and joined Chase National Bank (now Chase Manhattan) after World War II, rising to be chief executive officer (1969–80) of what was then the nation's second largest bank. In that capacity, he worked to further American investment in developing countries; in 1981 he became chairman of Chase's International Advisory Committee. He wrote extensively on banking management, served as a senior executive of family-owned enterprises such as Rockefeller Center Properties, Inc., and, from 1951–70, chaired the Council on Foreign Relations. Deeply involved in philanthropic activities, he headed the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research for many years, and was said to enjoy beetle collecting as a favorite hobby.