James Stillman Rockefeller, Sr.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stillman_Rockefeller

James Stillman Rockefeller (June 8, 1902 - August 10, 2004) was a member of the prominent U.S. Rockefeller family.

Personal life

A paternal grandson of William Rockefeller, his maternal grandfather James Stillman and uncle James Alexander Stillman served as president of the National City Bank of New York, now Citibank. His father was William Goodsell Rockefeller and his mother Elsie Stillman.

He graduated from Yale University in 1924, where he was elected to Scroll and Key. That same year Rockefeller captained a crew of Yale teammates, winning a gold medal in rowing at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France and appeared on the cover of Time magazine on July 7, 1924. (Dr. Benjamin Spock, who would later become a famous expert on child-care, was a member of the crew)

On April 15, 1925, he married Nancy Carnegie, grandniece of Andrew Carnegie. During World War II, Rockefeller served in the Airborne Command. He had four children: James Stillman Rockefeller, Jr., Nancy Sherlock Carnegie Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie Rockefeller, and Georgia Stillman Rockefeller.

He lived in Greenwich Connecticut in a 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m2) brick Georgian manse, built in 1929, with 11 bedrooms and 16 marble bathrooms on four levels. There are 12 fireplaces, an elevator, an outdoor pool and English gardens.

On August 5, 2004, Rockefeller suffered a stroke. His advance directives for medical care specified that he not be put on life support. He died at 4am on August 10, 2004, at the age of 102. Rockefeller was survived by four children, fourteen grandchildren, thirty-seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter.

His house was sold in 2004 for $13.4 million dollars and resold again in 2009 for $23.9 million.

Business career

Rockefeller joined the National City Bank in 1930 after working at Brown Brothers Harriman and served as president from 1952 to 1959 and chairman from 1959 to 1967. It was during his tenure that the bank merged with the smaller First National Bank and took the name The First National City Bank of New York.

(Under each of his successors, the bank's name has changed: George Moore shortened it to "First National City Bank" and formed a holding company, First National City Corp.; under Walter B. Wriston these became "Citibank" and "Citicorp"; under John Reed the firm merged with Travelers Group to become Citigroup.

James Stillman Rockefeller also concerned himself with other family investments, and prior to his death was America's oldest living Olympic champion, and the earliest living cover subject of Time magazine.