Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (American Philanthropist)

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874–1960,) fully John Davison Rockefeller, Jr., was an American philanthropist and art collector. He was the only son of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., the magnate behind Standard Oil, and the heir to the Rockefeller fortune. Rockefeller, Jr. played a significant role in developing Rockefeller Center in New York City and was instrumental in establishing the United Nations headquarters there.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Rockefeller, Jr. graduated from Brown University in 1897. Although he joined his father in business, he never assumed complete control of Standard Oil. However, following the tragic Ludlow Massacre, which occurred during a coal miners’ strike in Ludlow, Colorado, resulting in the deaths of 20 individuals, Rockefeller, Jr., who owned the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, faced criticism due to his indirect involvement in the event and the poor working conditions faced by the workers. In response to this incident, he shifted his focus toward philanthropic endeavors.

In collaboration with his father, Rockefeller, Jr. established significant philanthropic institutions, such as the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (later renamed Rockefeller University) in New York City in 1901, the General Education Board in 1902, and the Rockefeller Foundation in 1913. During World War II, he played a vital role in establishing the United Service Organizations (USO,) which provided aid to members of the U.S. military and their dependents.

Following the war, Rockefeller, Jr. donated land for the headquarters of the United Nations. This generous gift played a significant role in locating the world organization in the United States. He also supported various other causes, including the University of Chicago, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, the construction of affordable housing in impoverished areas of New York City, as well as donations to Riverside Church and the Museum of Modern Art in the city.

A notable biography is Ron Chernow’s John D. Rockefeller, Jr.: A Life in the 20th Century (1998.)

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Giving is the secret of a healthy life. Not necessarily money, but whatever a person has of encouragement, sympathy and understanding.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Kindness

I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Illusion, Pleasure

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Responsibility

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Risk-taking, Success & Failure, Success

I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty. I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law; that government is the servant of the people and not their master. I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living. I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living and that economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure, whether in government, business or personal affairs. I believe that truth and justice are fundamental to an enduring social order. I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man’s word should be as good as his bond; that character-not wealth or power or position-is of supreme worth. I believe that the rendering of useful service is the common duty of mankind and that only in the purifying fire of sacrifice is the dross of selfishness consumed and the greatness of the human soul set free. I believe in an all-wise and all-loving God, named by whatever name, and that the individual’s highest fulfillment, greatest happiness and widest usefulness are to be found in living in harmony with His will. I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world; that it alone can overcome hate; that right can and will triumph over might.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Obligation, Character, Labor, Life, Love, Worth, Duty, Responsibility

Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one’s aim.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Concentration, Goal

I have long been profoundly convinced that in the very nature of things, employers and employees are partners, not enemies; that their interests are common, not opposed; that in the long run the success of each is dependent upon the success of the other. If the labor movement will do its share is outlawing industrial warfare; substituting partnership therefor; if more men of broad vision and high purpose respond to the opportunity for constructive leadership which labor unionism offers, well may it be that the trade union movement will enjoy the glory and honor of ushering in industrial peace.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Labor

We are coming to see that there should be no stifling of labor by capital, or of capital by labor; and also that there should be no stifling of labor by labor, or of capital by capital.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Work, Labor

What the world craves today is a more spiritual and less formal religion. To the man or woman facing death, great conflict, the big problems of human life, the forms of religion are of minor concern, while the spirit of religion is a desperately needed source of inspiration, comfort and strength.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Topics: Religion

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