You are here

David Rockefeller, Benefactor Of Acadia National Park, Passes At 101

Share

David Rockefeller and the Rockefeller family were honored at the August 27, 2016, “Gift of Acadia” celebration for the Acadia National Park and National Park Service centennials/Friends of Acadia

David Rockefeller, who continued his family's long-running love affair with national parks, died the other day at 101. The last surviving grandchild of oil baron John D. Rockefeller, Mr. Rockefeller had a particular keenness for Acadia National Park, which his father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., helped established in 1916.

“He loved this place dearly,” said Friends of Acadia President David MacDonald, adding that Mr. Rockefeller “was always willing to help us in our work to preserve and protect Acadia. Not only was he generous with his own support, but he was unfailing in his ability to encourage others to join him in doing the same. He was writing notes and hosting meetings and attending events right through his very last summer here during Acadia’s centennial year.”

The Rockefeller family has a long legacy with the national parks movement. Their philanthropy, descending from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to his sons Laurance and David, reached beyond Acadia to Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains, Virgin Islands, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Shenandoah, and Yellowstone national parks, as well as Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.

Comments

I'm impressed by Rockefeller's sensibility when overseeing the construction of the carriage roads of Acadia NP: winding a road around a tree to preserve it rather than uproot it, using native stones to construct bridges, etc.  Wonderful legacy.


I visited Virgin Islands National Park in December and was impressed with their philanthropy. I hope the news of his passing will show the families great contributions to our National Parks and inspire others who can follow in their example.


Was wasn't the Rockdefeller family also instrumental in the developement of Colonial Williamsburg?


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.