Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was an American politician and businessman. He was the 41st vice president of the United States from December 1974 to January 1977. Before becoming vice president, he was the 49th governor of New York from 1959 to 1973, and served as assistant secretary of State for American Republic Affairs, as well as under secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.
Before entering politics, he was a businessman. As a businessman, Rockefeller was president and later chair of Rockefeller Center, Inc., and he formed the International Basic Economy Corporation in 1947. He served as trustee, treasurer, and president of the Museum of Modern Art, and founded the Museum of Primitive Art in 1954.
A grandson of billionaire John D. Rockefeller and a member of the wealthy Rockefeller family, he was an art collector and served as administrator of the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, New York City. He was from one of the richest and most powerful families in the United States.