David Rockefeller Quotes & Sayings

I am a passionate traveler, and from the time I was a child, travel formed me as much as my formal education. In order to appreciate cultures of another nation, one needs to go there, know the people and mingle with the culture of that country. One way to do that, if one is lucky enough, is to buy things from those cultures. — David Rockefeller

I hope the Guggenheim plan will be revived. — David Rockefeller

Whatever the price of the Chinese Revolution, it has obviously succeeded not only in producing more efficient and dedicated administration, but also in fostering high morale and community of purpose. The social experiment in China under Chairman Mao's leadership is one of the most important and successful in human history. — David Rockefeller

The Japanese have a wonderful sense of design and a refinement in their art. They try to produce beautiful paintings with the minimum number of strokes. — David Rockefeller

I suspect that many corporations have begun to understand that they have an important role to play in the lives of their communities, and that allocating funds to support local groups helps them discharge that function and also burnish their image. — David Rockefeller

The negative impact of population growth on all of our planetary ecosystems is becoming appallingly evident. — David Rockefeller

The conventional notions of art have changed, and a lot of things done today are considered works of art that would have been rejected in the past. — David Rockefeller

They decided to establish a museum of modern art where works by contemporary artists would be shown. Mother was viewed as a very progressive person, and not everybody liked the paintings she bought. — David Rockefeller

Somebody has to take governments' place, and business seems to me to be a logical entity to do it. — David Rockefeller

Philanthropy is involved with basic innovations that transform society, not simply maintaining the status quo or filling basic social needs that were formerly the province of the public sector. — David Rockefeller

I am convinced that material things can contribute a lot to making one's life pleasant, but, basically, if you do not have very good friends and relatives who matter to you, life will be really empty and sad and material things cease to be important. — David Rockefeller

It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world
if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years.
But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a
world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite
and world bankers is surely preferable to the national
auto-determination practiced in past centuries. — David Rockefeller

Only once in my life was I on the edge of incivility. I do not like to be unkind. — David Rockefeller

It is true that I am often startled and even angered and repulsed by the strange directions and provocative content of new forms that seem to pop up every few months. — David Rockefeller

I met many Russians over the years who were convinced my brothers and I were a cabal, pulling strings behind the scenes to shape American policy. The Soviets had no conception of how a pluralistic democracy works and believed elected officials, up to and including the president of the United States, were only figureheads acting out the roles dictated to them by the real "powers that be" - in this case, my family. — David Rockefeller

I think that the best hope for peace and prosperity in the world is greater cooperation among nations, which in turn will be produced if both our governments and the people of our countries travel more and get to know each other better. — David Rockefeller

Mother liked beauty wherever she found it, and she found it in many different places, both in nature and in contemporary art. And that's where they pretty much parted company. Father ... anything that was abstract would to him automatically be not very good. — David Rockefeller

Populists and isolationists ignore the tangible benefits that have resulted from our active international role during the past half-century. — David Rockefeller

For more than 40 years, I have advocated the creation of a 'round the clock' community. This would mean, at the least, housing, schools and shops of various kinds alongside the commercial buildings. That kind of community had appeared in lower Manhattan in nascent form before Sept. 11, 2001. — David Rockefeller

The role of a museum of modern art is to make a good selection and identify what we believe to be the coming movements, and that requires taste. — David Rockefeller

This present window of opportunity, during which a truly peaceful and interdependent world order might be built, will not be open for too long - We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order. — David Rockefeller

If the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) raises the hackles of the conspiracy theorists, the Bilderberg meetings must induce apocalyptic visions of omnipotent international bankers plotting with unscrupulous government officials to impose cunning schemes on an ignorant and unsuspecting world. — David Rockefeller

I think I am basically a happy person. — David Rockefeller

The Japanese banks are not having an easy time as they once had. — David Rockefeller

Some even believe we (the Rockefeller family) are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as 'internationalists' and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure - one world, if you will. If that's the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it. — David Rockefeller

The Christian ethic played an essential part in my upbringing. — David Rockefeller

Successful charitable fund-raising has much in common with managing a business: It requires leadership, persistence, and creativity. — David Rockefeller

Bilderberger Meeting: The world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government ... — David Rockefeller

Whatever you do, if you do it hard enough you'll enjoy it. The important thing is to work and work hard. — David Rockefeller

My own interest in art was because of my mother. My father didn't like contemporary art, so he didn't give her large sums to spend. So, she began buying prints and drawings. During my school days, I remember sitting in on many of the early meetings. — David Rockefeller

MoMA is doubling its space, and I decided to raise the money for it. — David Rockefeller

We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis ... — David Rockefeller

My congratulations on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution. — David Rockefeller

Eventually, most people felt MoMA had filled a very important gap. — David Rockefeller

My grandfather, along with Carnegie, was a pioneer in philanthropy, which my father then practiced on a very large scale. — David Rockefeller

Everything is in place - after 500 years - to build a true 'new world' in the Western Hemisphere ... And what happens if we don't pass NAFTA? I truly don't think that 'criminal' would be too strong a word for rejecting NAFTA. — David Rockefeller

I am never angry, although sometimes distressed. — David Rockefeller

As children we recognized that we belonged to an unusual, even exceptional, family, but the effect was different on each of us. — David Rockefeller

Courting Peggy McGrath provided me with a very pleasant diversion and eventually with the most important relationship of my life. — David Rockefeller

Mother's taste was eclectic and ranged from the ancient world to the contemporary from Europe to the U.S. — David Rockefeller

I can only say that I have had a wonderful life. — David Rockefeller

I owe much to mother. She had an expert's understanding, but also approached art emotionally. — David Rockefeller

I realize how fortunate I have been; mine has been a wonderful life. — David Rockefeller

Mother's interest in contemporary American artists emerged during the 1920s. — David Rockefeller

I don't recall that I have said and I don't think that I really feel that we need a world government. We need governments of the world that work together and collaborate. But, I can't imagine that there would be any likelihood or even that it would be desirable to have a single government elected by the people of the world. — David Rockefeller

You know, gentlemen, that I do not owe any personal income tax. But nevertheless, I send a small check, now and then, to the Internal Revenue Service out of the kindness of my heart. — David Rockefeller

I think of art as the highest level of creativity. To me, it is one of the greatest sources of enjoyment. — David Rockefeller

I do not like to be unkind. — David Rockefeller

When I see something I like, I buy it, but I do not look for it madly. — David Rockefeller

I was brought up feeling that art is a very important part of one's life. It's something that I not only enjoy, it's something I can share with others. — David Rockefeller

Money can add very much to one's ability to lead a constructive life, not only pleasant for oneself, but, hopefully, beneficial to others. — David Rockefeller

I learned more from my mother than from all the art historians and curators who have informed me about technical aspects of art history and art appreciation over the years. — David Rockefeller

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic. — David Rockefeller

By a museum, I assume you mean an institution dedicated to the events of Sept. 11 and the aftermath. If that is done with sensitivity, I think it would be most appropriate. — David Rockefeller

I never kept a diary, but I wrote detailed notes of my travels. — David Rockefeller

A museum has to renew its collection to be alive, but that does not mean we give on important old works. — David Rockefeller

I believe that government is the servant of the people and not their master. — David Rockefeller

There have been people.. ever since I've had any kind of position in the world.. who have accused me of being ruler of the world. I have to say that I think for the large part, I would have to decide to describe them as crack pots. It makes no sense whatsoever, and isn't true, and won't be true, and to raise it as a serious issue seems to me to be irresponsible. — David Rockefeller

Harvard has played an important role in my life. I was a student, Class of 1936, and I've been on the board of overseers. My experiences there shaped who I am. — David Rockefeller

Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you're not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were. — David Rockefeller

Father was the eldest son and the heir apparent, and he set the standard for being a Rockefeller very high, so every achievement was taken for granted and perfection was the norm. — David Rockefeller

I was born into wealth and there was nothing I could do about it. It was there like food or air. — David Rockefeller

When you have a lot of resources, the most important thing is to have had good parents and to have been brought up by people who gave one the proper values. — David Rockefeller