The Rockefeller Women: Dynasty of Piety, Privacy, and Service [Hardcover]

Clarice Stasz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1995

Based on previously unpublished letters, diaries, and photographs, an intimate portrait of the Rockefeller women includes Eliza Davison Rockefeller, a stern Baptist; Edith Rockefeller McCormick, queen of Chicago society; and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, founder of the Museum of Modern Art.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In another solid exercise in restorative history, Stasz, professor of history at Sonoma State University in California, tries to do for the Rockefeller women what she did in The Vanderbilt Women. Tracing the billionaires from John D. and Laura Rockefeller (married in 1864) to Governor Nelson and Happy Rockefeller (married in 1963), she chronicles the women's philanthropic activities (John Jr.'s wife, Abby, was a founder of the Museum of Modern Art) and eccentricities (John D.'s daughter, Edith, became a Jungian lay analyst and financially supported James Joyce, advising him in vain to go into therapy with Carl Jung). It is all conscientiously recorded, and Stasz draws a convincing picture of a more genuine religious commitment than the rich are usually given credit for. But it is impossible to escape the fact that men and money inexorably shaped the Rockefeller women's lives, despite the author's diligent efforts to give them historical independence. A comprehensive and careful portrait such as this brings valuable information together, but the tale of making money has more narrative drive than that of spending it. Let's face it: robber barons are, on the whole, more fun to read about than wealthy society women. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Of all the hugely wealthy families that grew out of laissez-faire capitalism, the Rockefellers most embodied that odd combination of focused accumulation and abundant charity. Over the generations, certain names?e.g., John Sr., John Jr., Nelson, and David?have sprung forth as fixtures of this country's economic and social history. The women are less well known (though Abby, sister of Nelson and their four brothers, and Happy, Nelson's second wife, come to mind), but as this work points out, they played prominent roles in shaping the family character and direction. Profiled here are women from John Sr.'s mother, Eliza, who endured almost everything, including a bigamist husband, to Laura, John Sr.'s wife, who shared his fascination for balancing the books, to a group of daughters and sisters and cousins that continues to grow. In this work, Stasz (The Vanderbilt Women, LJ 12/91) ably fills a gap in the telling of the Rockefeller saga. Appropriate for most public and academic libraries.?Katherine Gillen, Luke AFB Lib., Ariz.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 380 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312131569
• ISBN-13: 978-0312131562
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,714,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clarice Stasz is Professor Emerita of History, Sonoma State University. Raised in South Jersey, she has spent her adult life in California. Most of her writings concern the themes of gender, power, and family dynamics. She sees biography as a way to invite readers to enjoy history, a topic so often avoided as a result of the "dates and wars" format that turned them off. She thinks scholars have a responsibility to share their expertise in a straightforward and inviting form. She likes to remind people that self-made people are seldom such, but helped by those around them and the opportunities of their time. She admires Jack London for his crisp and energetic prose, which she hopes has affected her own. Her greatest pleasure as a writer is hearing from readers, whether they agree with her or not.