Rodman Clark Rockefeller

Rodman Clark Rockefeller (1932 - 2000) was the oldest son of former U.S. Vice President Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller. Namebase and "who was active in efforts that led to the North American Free Trade Agreement and in forging closer ties between the United States and Latin America...

"Mr. Rockefeller was the longtime chairman of Pocantico Associates, a private venture capital and real estate investment concern. He was also long active in Rockefeller family affairs....

"From the late 1960's into the 1990's, Rodman strove to spur trade with Mexico and other countries in Latin America and worked for the liberalization of foreign investment there.

"During that period, he became a high executive of the International Basic Economy Corporation and co-chairman of the Mexico-United States Business Committee, an organization focusing on economic and political issues of interest to both nations' business communities. The passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the mid-1990's has been called the culmination of his and the committee's efforts.

"Mr. Rockefeller was president from 1968 to 1972 and chief executive from 1972 to 1980 of International Basic Economy, a commercial genetics and agribusiness concern based in New York. Its activities, all in Latin America, included developing corn production there and building thousands of low-cost homes in three places in Mexico.

"He was also chairman of IBEC Inc. a successor concern, from 1980 to 1985, and of Arbor Acres Farm, based in Glastonbury, Conn., a seller of genetic material for poultry stock, for some years...

"He was on the board of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund for nine years. For many years, he was a trustee of Rockefeller Financial Services, which in effect manages the family's office, its investment company and its foundations.

"He was the head of the finance committee of Rockefeller Financial Services for years and was a longtime trustee of Rockefeller Financial's holding company, Rockefeller & Company.

"He was also a trustee of the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit organization that works for international student exchanges and manages many such programs.

"He was recently active in the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, of which he was a trustee. Its programs include the restoration of Jefferson's estate, Monticello, in which Mr. Rockefeller was particularly interested.

"The honors he received included a high Mexican decoration, the Order of the Aztec Eagle.

"He was also a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art, the Americas Society and the New York Blood Center."

He is survived by four children from his first marriage: a daughter, Meile Louise Rockefeller of Manhattan; three sons, PeterRockefeller, Stuart Rockefeller and Michael Rockefeller, all of Manhattan; and five grandchildren.