Mary Rockefeller

For the American heiress, socialite and philanthropist, see Mary French Rockefeller.

Mary Rockefeller
Rockefeller as First Lady of New York
First Lady of New York
In role January 1, 1959 – March 16, 1962
Governor	Nelson Rockefeller
Preceded by	Marie Norton Harriman
Succeeded by	Happy Rockefeller
Personal details
Born	Mary Todhunter Clark June 17, 1907 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	April 21, 1999(1999-04-21) (aged 91) New York City, U.S.
Spouse	Nelson Rockefeller ​ ​ (m. 1930; div. 1962)​
Children	5, including Rodman, Steven, and Michael
Parent(s)	Percy Hamilton Clark Elizabeth Williams Roberts
Relatives	George B. Roberts (grandfather)
Education	Foxcroft School

Mary Todhunter Clark Rockefeller (June 17, 1907 – April 21, 1999) was the first wife of Nelson A. Rockefeller, the 49th governor of New York and the 41st vice president of the United States. She served as the first lady of New York from 1959 until the Rockefellers' divorce in March 1962. After their divorce, Nelson Rockefeller remained governor and would later become the 41st vice president of the United States, serving under President Gerald Ford.

Early life

Known as Tod to her family, Mary was born in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on June 17, 1907.[1] She was the daughter of Elizabeth Williams (née Roberts) Clark and Percy Hamilton Clark, an attorney and noted cricketer. Among her siblings were two brothers, John R. Clark and Dr. Thomas W. Clark.[1]

Her maternal grandfather was George B. Roberts, a former president of the Pennsylvania Railroad.[1]

Tod attended the Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia and studied at the Sorbonne in France, but didn't graduate, instead returning to Philadelphia where she made her debut and became active in the Junior League.[1]

Career

In 1932, Mary began volunteering at the Bellevue School of Nursing in Manhattan, which was administered with Bellevue Hospital. She served on the school's board for many years, including a stint as the board president.[1]

Personal life

On June 23, 1930, Mary married Nelson Rockefeller, a grandson of John D. Rockefeller, at St. Asaph's Episcopal Church in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, with a reception at the home of her parents, a few days after Nelson had graduated from Dartmouth College. They had five children:[2][3]

• Rodman Clark Rockefeller (1932–2000)[4]
• Ann Rockefeller Roberts (1934–2024),[5] a founder and president of the Fund of the Four Directions.[6][7]
• Steven Clark Rockefeller (b. 1936), a former dean of Middlebury College.[8]
• Mary Rockefeller Callard (b. 1938), Michael's twin.[9]
• Michael Clark Rockefeller (1938–1961), who disappeared during an expedition in the Asmat region of southwestern Netherlands New Guinea.[10]

Mary divorced her husband on March 16, 1962 in Reno, Nevada on grounds of extreme mental cruelty.[11] A year later, "Happy" Murphy became the governor's second wife.

She died at her home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 1999 at the age of 91.[1][12]

References

1. Eric Pace (22 April 1999), "Mary C. Rockefeller, Governor's Former Wife, Dead at 91", New York Times, pp. C23, retrieved 17 December 2009
2. Reich, Cary. The Life of Nelson A. Rockefeller: Worlds to Conquer, 1908 - 1958, New York: Doubleday, 1996.
3. "Paid Notice: Deaths ROCKEFELLER, MARY CLARK". The New York Times. 23 April 1999. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
4. Pace, Eric (16 May 2000). "Rodman Rockefeller, 68, Dies; Active in Latin Trade Efforts". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
5. Roberts, Sam (20 December 2024). "Ann Rockefeller Roberts, Champion of Native Americans, Dies at 90". Retrieved 22 December 2024.
6. "Ann Rockefeller Robertsn, author of The Rockefeller Family Home: Kykuit". www.abbeville.com. Abbeville Press. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
7. "T. G. Harris Weds Ann Roberts". The New York Times. 4 March 1979. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
8. Teltsch, Kathleen (30 December 1984). "The Cousins". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
9. Berger, Warren (July 30, 1995). "MICHAEL ROCKEFELLER'S QUEST: HOW DID IT END?". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
10. Hoffmann, Carl (March 2014). "What Really Happened to Michael Rockefeller". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
11. "Rockefeller, Second Wife Expecting Baby In June". New York Times. January 1, 1964. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
12. New York Times News Service (April 23, 1999). "MARY CLARK ROCKEFELLER, ONETIME FIRST LADY OF N.Y." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 17 June 2019.

Honorary titles
Preceded by Marie Norton Harriman	First Lady of New York 1959–1962	Succeeded by Margaretta Rockefeller