Godfrey A. Rockefeller Godfrey A. Rockefeller Godfrey Anderson Rockefeller, Sr. (May 22, 1924 – January 22, 2010) was an American aviator. He was the eldest son of Godfrey Stillman Rockefeller (1899–1983) and Helen Gratz. He is best known for his environmental interests and role in the World Wildlife Fund. Godfrey Anderson Rockefeller was born on May 22, 1924 in New York City to Godfrey Stillman Rockefeller (1899—1983) and Helen Gratz. He attended Phillips Academy Andover and later Yale University, at the same time as family friend George H. W. Bush, He joined the United States Marine Corps and served in both World War
Founder's Hall (Rockefeller University) business, from which he retired in 1897. His efforts at philanthropy were formally guided from 1891 by Frederick T. Gates, a Baptist minister who had previously (1889) recommended to Rockefeller that he establish the University of Chicago. Much of Rockefeller's early philanthropy was on a comparatively small scale, and it was soon clear that larger-scale endeavors needed to be organized to properly guide his charitable giving. Gates suggested to Rockefeller that he establish a medical research institute that would be on a par with major European institutions of the period. In June 1902, Rockefeller made a commitment of $1 million