Laura Spelman Rockefeller

Laura Spelman Rockefeller (born September 9, 1839, Wadsworth, Ohio, U.S.—died March 12, 1915, Pocantico Hills, New York) was an American educator and philanthropist who was the wife of John D. Rockefeller of the famed Rockefeller family.

Both of Spelman’s parents were active in social causes; her father, a wealthy businessman, was an abolitionist involved in the Underground Railroad, and her mother supported the temperance movement. In 1859 Laura began working as a teacher in Cleveland, and three years later she became an assistant principal. In 1862 she began a relationship with Rockefeller, a former classmate, and the couple shared a strong involvement in the church. They married in 1864 and eventually had four daughters, one of whom died very young, and a son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

A shrewd and sometimes ruthless businessman, John D. Rockefeller recognized the potential of the oil industry. In 1863 he helped establish an oil refinery in Ohio, and in 1870 he cofounded the Standard Oil Company. The family became immensely wealthy—according to some reports, Rockefeller was worth as much as $900 million at one point—but Laura maintained a simple and, at times, frugal homelife. Both she and her husband were devoted to philanthropy, and in 1884 they began contributing to an Atlanta seminary for African American women that eventually became Spelman College. Laura also continued to be active in the church. However, her health began to fail in the early 20th century, and by 1910 she was largely bedridden. She suffered a fatal heart attack in 1915 at the Rockefeller estate in Pocantico Hills, New York. Three years later her husband created the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, which was involved in education and social welfare, among other issues. It later became part of the Rockefeller Foundation.