The Rockefeller
Foundation is a philanthropic
organization and private foundation with her headquarters in New
York City, United States. The preeminent institution established by the
six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by Standard Oil owner John D. Rockefeller (“Senior”), along with
his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
(“Junior”), and Senior’s principal oil and gas business and
philanthropic advisor, Frederick Taylor Gates, in New York State on May
14, 1913, when its charter was formally accepted by the New York State
Legislature. Its central mission over the past 100 years has been “to
promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world.”
Foundation is a philanthropic
organization and private foundation with her headquarters in New
York City, United States. The preeminent institution established by the
six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by Standard Oil owner John D. Rockefeller (“Senior”), along with
his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
(“Junior”), and Senior’s principal oil and gas business and
philanthropic advisor, Frederick Taylor Gates, in New York State on May
14, 1913, when its charter was formally accepted by the New York State
Legislature. Its central mission over the past 100 years has been “to
promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world.”
Some of its objectives and achievements include:
·
Financially supported education
in the United States “without distinction of race, sex or creed”
Financially supported education
in the United States “without distinction of race, sex or creed”
·
Helped establish the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the
United Kingdom;
Helped establish the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the
United Kingdom;
·
Established the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Harvard School of Public Health, two of
the first such institutions in the United States;
Established the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Harvard School of Public Health, two of
the first such institutions in the United States;
·
Established the School of Hygiene at the
University of Toronto in 1927;
Established the School of Hygiene at the
University of Toronto in 1927;
·
Developed the vaccine to prevent yellow fever;
Developed the vaccine to prevent yellow fever;
·
Helped The New School provide
a haven for scholars threatened by the Nazis.
Helped The New School provide
a haven for scholars threatened by the Nazis.
In the 1920s, the Rockefeller Foundation started a
program to eradicate hookworm in Mexico. The program exemplified the time
period’s confidence in science as the solution for everything. This reliance on
science was known as scientific neutrality. The Rockefeller Foundation program
stated that there was a crucial correlation between the world of science,
politics and international health policy. This heavy reliance of scientific
neutrality contradicted the hookworm program’s fundamental objective to invest
in public health in order to develop better social conditions and to establish
positive ties between the United States and Mexico.
program to eradicate hookworm in Mexico. The program exemplified the time
period’s confidence in science as the solution for everything. This reliance on
science was known as scientific neutrality. The Rockefeller Foundation program
stated that there was a crucial correlation between the world of science,
politics and international health policy. This heavy reliance of scientific
neutrality contradicted the hookworm program’s fundamental objective to invest
in public health in order to develop better social conditions and to establish
positive ties between the United States and Mexico.
The Hookworm Campaign set the terms of the
relationship between Mexico and the Rockefeller Foundation that persisted
through subsequent programs including the development of a network of local
public health departments. The importance of the hookworm campaign was to get a
foot in the door and swiftly convince rural people of the value of public
health work. The roles of the RF’s hookworm campaign are characteristic of the
policy paradoxes that emerge when science is summoned to drive policy. The
campaign in Mexico served as a policy cauldron through which new knowledge
could be demonstrated applicable to social and political problems on many
levels.
relationship between Mexico and the Rockefeller Foundation that persisted
through subsequent programs including the development of a network of local
public health departments. The importance of the hookworm campaign was to get a
foot in the door and swiftly convince rural people of the value of public
health work. The roles of the RF’s hookworm campaign are characteristic of the
policy paradoxes that emerge when science is summoned to drive policy. The
campaign in Mexico served as a policy cauldron through which new knowledge
could be demonstrated applicable to social and political problems on many
levels.
A major program beginning in the 1930s was the
relocation of German (Jewish) scholars from German universities to America.
This was expanded to other European countries; when war broke out it became a
full-scale rescue operation. Another program, the Emergency Rescue Committee was also partly funded with
Rockefeller money; this effort resulted in the rescue of some of the most
famous artists, writers and composers of Europe.
relocation of German (Jewish) scholars from German universities to America.
This was expanded to other European countries; when war broke out it became a
full-scale rescue operation. Another program, the Emergency Rescue Committee was also partly funded with
Rockefeller money; this effort resulted in the rescue of some of the most
famous artists, writers and composers of Europe.
Another significant program was its Medical
Sciences Division, which extensively funded women’s contraception and the human
reproductive system in general. Other funding went into endocrinology
departments in American universities, human heredity, mammalian biology, human
physiology and anatomy, psychology, and the
pioneering studies of human sexual behaviour.
Sciences Division, which extensively funded women’s contraception and the human
reproductive system in general. Other funding went into endocrinology
departments in American universities, human heredity, mammalian biology, human
physiology and anatomy, psychology, and the
pioneering studies of human sexual behaviour.
In 1950 the Foundation mounted a major program of
virus research, establishing field laboratories in Poona, India; Port of Spain, Trinidad; Belém, Brazil;
Johannesburg, South
Africa; Cairo, Egypt; Ibadan,
Nigeria; and Cali,
Colombia. In time, major funding was also contributed by the countries
involved, while in Trinidad the British government and neighbouring
British-controlled territories also assisted. Sub-professional staff were
almost all recruited locally and, wherever possible, local people were given
scholarships and other support to be professionally trained. In most cases,
locals eventually took over management of the facilities. Support was also
given to research on viruses in many other countries. The result of all this
research was the identification of a huge number of viruses affecting humans,
the development of new techniques for the rapid identification of viruses, and
a quantum leap in our understanding of arthropod-borne
viruses.
virus research, establishing field laboratories in Poona, India; Port of Spain, Trinidad; Belém, Brazil;
Johannesburg, South
Africa; Cairo, Egypt; Ibadan,
Nigeria; and Cali,
Colombia. In time, major funding was also contributed by the countries
involved, while in Trinidad the British government and neighbouring
British-controlled territories also assisted. Sub-professional staff were
almost all recruited locally and, wherever possible, local people were given
scholarships and other support to be professionally trained. In most cases,
locals eventually took over management of the facilities. Support was also
given to research on viruses in many other countries. The result of all this
research was the identification of a huge number of viruses affecting humans,
the development of new techniques for the rapid identification of viruses, and
a quantum leap in our understanding of arthropod-borne
viruses.
In the arts it has helped establish or support the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada,
and the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut; Arena Stage in
Washington, D.C.; Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio; and Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts in New
York. In a recent shift in program emphasis, President Rodin eliminated the
division that spent money on the arts, the creativity and culture program.
Thousands of scientists and scholars from all over the world have received
foundation fellowships and scholarships for advanced study in major scientific
disciplines.
and the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut; Arena Stage in
Washington, D.C.; Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio; and Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts in New
York. In a recent shift in program emphasis, President Rodin eliminated the
division that spent money on the arts, the creativity and culture program.
Thousands of scientists and scholars from all over the world have received
foundation fellowships and scholarships for advanced study in major scientific
disciplines.