Voting Station

Winthrop Rockefeller

Please vote to return to collections.

U.S. Governor

The Resume

    (May 1, 1912-February 22, 1973)
    Born in New York City, Kansas
    Grandson of <8735>John D. Rockefeller
    Brother of Nelson and David Rockefeller
    Governor of Arkansas (1967-71)
    Republican
    Founded the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust

Why he might be annoying:

    He was expelled from Yale for misbehavior.
    Former Republican state chair Osro Cobb wrote that he ‘used ruthless tactics to convert the fine Republican state organization into a one-man Rockefeller machine, loyal not to party but to Rockefeller personally.’
    He did not have much in the way of political coattails: during his first election as governor, only three Republicans were elected to the 100-member state House of Representatives.
    He had trouble getting bills passed by a legislature dominated by Democrats.
    He was badly organized, constantly arriving late for meetings and failing to answer mail.
    His second marriage dissolved while he was governor, with his wife Jeanette even slapping him in in public.
    He promised to serve only two terms, then ran for a third (losing to Dale Bumpers).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He said the happiest years of his life were spent working as a roughneck in the family oil fields (1934-37).
    He received the Purple Heart after suffering burns when kamikazes attacked his troopship during the landings on Okinawa.
    As head of the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission (1955-64) under Governor Orval Faubus, he helped create 90,000 new jobs.
    He secured passage of the state’s first minimum wage law.
    He integrated the state police force.
    He was the only Southern governor to hold a public ceremony mourning the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 23 Votes: 47.83% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 10 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 70.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 34 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 26 Votes: 50.0% Annoying