Inheriting a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1937, Laurance Rockefeller leveraged his family fortune to become a foundational figure in venture capital. Over a career spanning seven decades, he directed significant early funding toward technology and aviation start-ups while simultaneously dedicating his resources to environmental preservation and the development of eco-conscious resort properties.
Early Development and Family Legacy
Born in New York City in 1910, he was the fourth child of John Davison Rockefeller Jr. and Abigail Greene Aldrich. His educational path included Princeton University, where he graduated in 1932, followed by two years at Harvard Law School. In 1934, he married Mary French in Woodstock, Vermont. Their union produced four children: Laura, Marion, Lucy, and Laurance S. Jr.
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In 1946, he launched a partnership with his siblings that eventually became Venrock Associates in 1969. This firm provided early capital for companies including Intel and Apple. Beyond technology, his focus included aerospace and instrumentation. He maintained a long-standing interest in aviation, investing heavily in Eastern Airlines and the McDonnell Aircraft Corp, and became the largest shareholder of the former.
Conservation and Hospitality
Through Rockresorts, Inc., he pioneered an early model of eco-tourism. He established properties such as the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Hawaii and Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands. Many of his projects emphasized natural preservation, with portions of land in the United States Virgin Islands eventually donated to the national park system. His work in the field earned him the 1964 Audubon Medal.
Institutional Philanthropy
He served as a founding trustee of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund for 42 years, holding leadership roles from 1958 to 1980. His philanthropic interests were diverse, ranging from the New York Zoological Society to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He also funded the Mirror Theater Ltd and supported various research initiatives, including those concerning consciousness-based phenomena.
Fast facts
- Born: 1910, New York City
- Died: 2004, New York City
- Education: Princeton University, Harvard Law School
- Audubon Medal: 1964
- Presidential Medal of Freedom: 1969
- Burial site: Rockefeller Family Cemetery
- Spouse: Mary French
Questions readers ask
What major technology companies received early funding from his firm?
Venrock Associates provided critical early-stage capital to Intel and Apple Computer.
What was his role in the development of eco-tourism?
He founded Rockresorts, Inc., which built environmentally focused hotels designed to exist in balance with their natural settings in Hawaii and the Caribbean.
Achievements
- Congressional Gold Medal
- Presidential Medal of Freedom — 1969
- Audubon Medal — 1964
- Educated at Princeton University and Harvard Law School
