Rockefeller Foundation Vows to Continue Legacy of Involvement in Greek Issues
Ariana Rockefeller, the granddaughter of philanthropist David Rockefeller Sr., said on Wednesday that the Rockefeller Foundation would continue its legacy of continuous involvement in Greek issues during her meeting in Athens with Lina Mendoni, Greece’s Minister of Culture.
The Rockefeller heir also related that her family’s relationship with Greece goes back decades. Her grandfather, John D. Rockefeller Jr., appreciated and adored all things ancient, especially the history of ancient Athens, Pericles and the creation of the Acropolis.
David Rockefeller maintained his family’s love for Greece and ancient Greek culture by visiting Mount Athos as well.
In 1929, the Foundation provided the capital to complete the construction of the Museum of Ancient Agora along with scholarships to train archaeologists. In addition, the Rockefeller Foundation funded continuing excavations in the Agora throughout the 1930s.
During their meeting, Rockefeller gifted the Minister of Culture and Sports with a volume of her grandfather’s memoirs along with a copy of the record of a donation from the Rockefeller Foundation in 1949.
This bequest gave $150,000 to the American School of Classical Studies to continue their work excavating the ancient Agora. The original document is found in the archives of the Rockefeller Foundation in New York.
Ariana Rockefeller serves on the board of the nonprofit foundation The David Rockefeller Fund, which was founded by her grandfather, David Rockefeller, Sr.
She is frequently seen supporting major New York arts and culture organizations. She is a Junior Associate at the New York Museum of Modern Art and supports the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as the New York Botanical Garden and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.