Rock ‧ e ‧ fel ‧ ler, John D. /ˈrɒkəfeləʳ $ ˈrɑː-/ BrE AmE
(1839–1937) a US businessman and ↑ philanthropist , known for being extremely rich, who started the ↑ Standard Oil Company in 1870. He used part of his great wealth to start the University of Chicago in 1892, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (which is now Rockefeller University) in 1901, and the Rockefeller Foundation in 1913. His son, John D. Rockefeller II (1874–1960), gave the ↑ UN the land for its ↑ headquarters , and built the Rockefeller Center, a large group of buildings in New York City, which includes offices, concert halls, shops, and works of art.