Rockefeller Archive Center

Rockefeller Archive Center Collects, preserves, and provides broad and equitable access to the historical records of philanthropy. Research inquiries: [email protected].

MISSION

By collecting, managing, preserving and providing broad and equitable access to the historical records of philanthropy and other efforts to work on behalf of the public good, the Rockefeller Archive Center inspires critical analysis and contributes knowledge to diverse learning communities throughout the world. ABOUT

The Rockefeller Archive Center was established in 1974 initially to gat

her, preserve, and make accessible the records of the Rockefeller family and their far-reaching philanthropic endeavors, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The Archive Center has grown and today holds the archives of major foundations, cultural organizations, research institutions, and many individuals associated with these organizations. The Rockefeller Archive Center preserves and makes accessible its ever-expanding holdings, which include the records of over forty organizations and over one hundred individuals. PRINCIPAL INSTITUTIONAL COLLECTIONS

Asia Society
Commonwealth Fund
Ford Foundation
Foundation Center
Henry Luce Foundation
Institute of International Education
John A. Hartford Foundation
Markle Foundation
Near East Foundation
Population Council
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Rockefeller Foundation
Russell Sage Foundation
Social Science Research Council
Taconic Foundation
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
William T. Grant Foundation

Earlier this month, the Rockefeller Archive Center had the pleasure of hosting an event celebrating the launch of the ne...
06/18/2026

Earlier this month, the Rockefeller Archive Center had the pleasure of hosting an event celebrating the launch of the new publication Origins of a Legacy: The Asia-Related Institutions of John D. Rockefeller 3rd. In the words of RAC President James Shulman, “The impulses behind this project echo or exemplify the interdisciplinary, trans-institutional, and transnational impulses of John D. Rockefeller 3rd's own effort.”

We applaud the work of research and writing that has gone into the creation of the book. The incredible support from the International House of Japan, the American Friends of I-House Japan, David Janes, PhD, Kim Gould Ashizawa, and Barbara Shubinski, PhD has been invaluable.

How does a foundation grapple with its part in the creation of the atom bomb? The latest open-source primary source work...
06/17/2026

How does a foundation grapple with its part in the creation of the atom bomb? The latest open-source primary source workshop from our Teach with Archives program asks students to put themselves in the role of Rockefeller Foundation leaders during World War II, analyzing internal foundation documents from the period to answer the question, “Would you as a foundation leader provide the funding that contributed to the development of the atomic bomb?”

Designed for students in grade 9 through undergraduate, the workshop will support primary source literacy skill development, and students are encouraged to use this experience as a springboard for further research into the role foundations played during World War II and, more broadly, learn about nonprofits' impact on foreign policy.

Download the complete workshop, including lesson plans, possible follow-ups, and all necessary primary documents, at the link in our profile now!

The Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA) began in Barbados in the late 1960s, in part with funding and support from ...
06/16/2026

The Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA) began in Barbados in the late 1960s, in part with funding and support from Laurance Rockefeller to create the Caribbean’s first regional institution focused on the environment. Part of their environmental efforts included work to protect area sea turtle populations through habit protection, political advocacy, and research.

In later years the CCA also received funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) and the American Conservation Association (ACA), whose records we also hold.

📸:
Caribbean Conservation Association records, RAC.

Check out this 1957 commercial photo book created for tourists of Kanyakumari, then known as Cape Comorin! Located at th...
06/15/2026

Check out this 1957 commercial photo book created for tourists of Kanyakumari, then known as Cape Comorin! Located at the southernmost tip of mainland India, Kanyakumari is popular with both tourists and pilgrims to its temple dedicated to the goddess Kanya Kumari, after whom the town is named.

📸:
Rockefeller Foundation records, RAC.

The weekend is here! 📸: Ford Foundation records, RAC.
06/12/2026

The weekend is here!

📸:
Ford Foundation records, RAC.

Our new round of Research Reports covers a lot of ground! From explorations of why Chinese researchers studied goldfish ...
06/11/2026

Our new round of Research Reports covers a lot of ground! From explorations of why Chinese researchers studied goldfish instead of fruit flies for genetics research to the science of policing here in the US, there’s so much to learn. These reports reflect research from within the records of the Rockefeller Foundation, the China Medical Board, the Rockefeller University, the Ford Foundation, and the Office of the Messrs. Rockefeller. Also cited are the personal papers of Edward Tatum, Alfred E. Mirsky, F. Champion Ward, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Dive in at the link in our profile!

Can you dig it? These photos come from the University of Pennsylvania’s (Penn) Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ Anc...
06/10/2026

Can you dig it? These photos come from the University of Pennsylvania’s (Penn) Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ Ancient History department, funded in part by a Ford Foundation program to provide field training to advanced graduate students in archaeology. A letter from one Penn staff member leading a dig to the Ford Foundation notes that he’s sorry for the lack of images sent but, “We seem to have any number of excellent shots devoid of people or shots of people in utterly unarchaeological contexts.”

📸:
Ford Foundation records, RAC.

Hello, 🐋! This 1965 photo is described on the reverse as feeding white whales in the oceanic tank at the New York Aquari...
06/09/2026

Hello, 🐋! This 1965 photo is described on the reverse as feeding white whales in the oceanic tank at the New York Aquarium. At the time, the Rockefeller Foundation provided funding to the New York Zoological Society’s Marine Biology programming.
📸:
Rockefeller Foundation records, RAC.

It’s ! Many grant-making organizations have supported environmental work over the decades, including ocean research, cl...
06/08/2026

It’s ! Many grant-making organizations have supported environmental work over the decades, including ocean research, cleanup, and conservation. In 2002, the Henry Luce Foundation helped fund the work of The Ocean Conservancy, an organization that supports research and advocacy for ocean health.

📸:
The Henry Luce Foundation records, RAC.

In 1974, the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) created a new Fellowships in Environmental Affairs program as part of a broader...
06/05/2026

In 1974, the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) created a new Fellowships in Environmental Affairs program as part of a broader Quality of the Environment program meant to bring foundation attention to the growing environmental movement happening across the US. We discovered that the 1976 Fellowship Advisory Panel actually held their decision-making meeting right here at the RAC!

Unfortunately for these environmental programs, which had barely gotten off the ground at the time, the global economic crisis of the mid-1970s forced the RF into making financial cuts. By the end of the decade, the relatively new Quality of the Environment program was disbanded.

📸:
Rockefeller Foundation records, RAC.

Address

15 Dayton Avenue
Sleepy Hollow, NY
10591

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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