U.N. Library Dedicates Room to U.S. Philanthropist

Michael Rockefeller and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cut the ribbon for the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Reading Room in the League of Nations Archives.

Washington — The Library of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) dedicated a new reading room to American philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. on September 10 to commemorate the 85th anniversary of Rockefeller’s $2 million endowment to fund the library’s expansion.

“This library contributes to the [Rockefeller] foundation’s goal of informing citizens who can make a difference in our world,” said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “Let us carry forward this mission for another 85 years and beyond.”

Also attending the ceremony were Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, director-general of the United Nations Office in Geneva; Betty King, U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva; and John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s great-grandson Michael Rockefeller. The ceremony was co-hosted by the UNOG and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

“This dedication is a reflection of the long tradition of Rockefeller philanthropy and involvement in civil society, and the family’s long-standing goal of working to solve the fundamental problems that affect all humanity,” Rockefeller said.

In addition to the reading room inauguration, the event featured the opening of a new exhibition, For the Well-Being of Mankind: Philanthropy and Multilateralism. Highlighting the role of both the Rockefeller and Carnegie families, the exhibition showcases “the incredible power of philanthropy when joined in partnership with multilateral organizations,” Tokayev said.

Founded in 1919, the Library of the UNOG was originally located in London and named the Library of the League of Nations. It moved with the league in 1920 to Geneva, where it remains today. Rockefeller provided the league with a $2 million endowment in 1927 to enhance its international relations library and promote peace through knowledge and understanding. It became the Library of the UNOG in 1946 when the league transferred its assets to the United Nations.

With a dual purpose of providing information to both the U.N. Secretariat and the academic community, the Library of the UNOG maintains a collection of records that include official correspondence from the Secretariat, private papers of delegates and official publications of the league. The library preserves Rockefeller's vision through its promotion of knowledge and mutual understanding.

John D. Rockefeller Jr. was the youngest child and only son of John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company. While his father focused on business, Rockefeller Jr. focused on philanthropy. Over the course of his lifetime, he gave more than $537 million to charitable projects that furthered international peace and advanced human welfare.

In addition to enhancing the Library of the UNOG, Rockefeller’s donations helped conserve U.S. national parks, establish a permanent home for the United Nations and create philanthropic organizations that continue to promote the public good. His example inspired a tradition of philanthropy and humanitarianism in the United States.

“There are, of course, now several large players in philanthropy in the United States and in other parts of the world,” King said, “but the Rockefeller name will forever be associated with philanthropy because of the sheer size, scope, durability and impact of the family’s generosity.”

According to the Hudson Institute’s 2012 Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances, the United States is the world’s largest charitable contributor in terms of total assistance. It provided $30.35 billion in official development assistance, $39 billion in private philanthropy and $95.8 billion in remittances in 2010 alone.

American giving is not limited to government and private corporations. According to The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, 65 percent of U.S. households give to charity. Individual contributions reached more than $217 billion in 2011 and remain the largest source of charitable giving in the United States. The majority of these individual contributions go to religious, educational and grant-making institutions.