John D. Rockefeller , in full John Davison Rockefeller, (born July 8, 1839, Richford, New York, U.S.—died May 23, 1937, Ormond Beach , Florida), American industrialist and philanthropist, founder of the
Standard Oil Company , which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business
trust.
A devout Baptist , Rockefeller turned his attention increasingly during the 1890s to charities and benevolence; after 1897 he devoted himself completely to
philanthropy. He made possible the founding of the University of Chicago in 1892, and by the time of his death he had given it some $35 million. In association with his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. , he created major philanthropic institutions, including the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (renamed Rockefeller University) in New York City (1901), the General Education Board (1902), and the Rockefeller Foundation (1913).
