Founder's Hall (Rockefeller University) Founder's Hall (Rockefeller University) Founder's Hall was the first building built on the campus of The Rockefeller University (formerly The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research ) at 66th Street and York Avenue, in Manhattan, New York City. Built between 1903 and 1906, it represents an instance of one of John D. Rockefeller's largest scale efforts at philanthropy, and housed the nation's first major biomedical research laboratory. Construction costs for Founders, which included an Animal housing facility and a powerhouse were $276,000. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. The building is now mainly used for school offices. Founder's
Rockefeller Center to make a profit on the site as quickly as possible, Rockefeller devised new plans within a month so that the site could become profitable. The developers entered into talks with Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and its subsidiaries, National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO), to build a mass media entertainment complex on the site. By May, RCA and its affiliates had made an agreement with Rockefeller Center managers to lease space and develop part of the complex. Todd released a new plan "G-3" in January 1930. Two months later, an "H plan" was released with facilities for "television,