Abby Aldrich Rockefeller: The Woman in the Family

The riveting portrait of the woman who transformed
the character of one of America’s most powerful families—
available in paperback for the first time, with a new Introduction by David Rockefeller

In 1894, Abby Aldrich, the buoyant, impulsive daughter of Rhode Island’s Senator Nelson Aldrich, met John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the deeply reserved heir to the Standard Oil fortune. This unlikely pair fell in love, but it was seven years before John felt confident enough to propose. Once married, Abby used her empathy, willingness to experiment, and defiant optimism to leaven John’s narrow, bureaucratic way of thinking. She expanded his vision of what the Rockefeller fortune could do, shaping the family into the progressive force in philanthropy, the arts, and politics that we know today.

Drawing on letters, diaries, and revealing interviews with family members and others, Bernice Kert has created a portrait of this vibrant woman that is both epic and intimate, moving seamlessly from the intricacies of her home life, to her work in larger arenas, to her crowning achievement—founding what eventually became the Museum of Modern Art.