Rockefeller Archive Center

Rockefeller Archive Center Collects, preserves, and provides broad and equitable access to the historical records of philanthropy. Research inquiries: [email protected].

MISSION

By collecting, managing, preserving and providing broad and equitable access to the historical records of philanthropy and other efforts to work on behalf of the public good, the Rockefeller Archive Center inspires critical analysis and contributes knowledge to diverse learning communities throughout the world. ABOUT

The Rockefeller Archive Center was established in 1974 initially to gat

her, preserve, and make accessible the records of the Rockefeller family and their far-reaching philanthropic endeavors, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The Archive Center has grown and today holds the archives of major foundations, cultural organizations, research institutions, and many individuals associated with these organizations. The Rockefeller Archive Center preserves and makes accessible its ever-expanding holdings, which include the records of over forty organizations and over one hundred individuals. PRINCIPAL INSTITUTIONAL COLLECTIONS

Asia Society
Commonwealth Fund
Ford Foundation
Foundation Center
Henry Luce Foundation
Institute of International Education
John A. Hartford Foundation
Markle Foundation
Near East Foundation
Population Council
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Rockefeller Foundation
Russell Sage Foundation
Social Science Research Council
Taconic Foundation
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
William T. Grant Foundation

In 1974, the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) created a new Fellowships in Environmental Affairs program as part of a broader...
06/05/2026

In 1974, the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) created a new Fellowships in Environmental Affairs program as part of a broader Quality of the Environment program meant to bring foundation attention to the growing environmental movement happening across the US. We discovered that the 1976 Fellowship Advisory Panel actually held their decision-making meeting right here at the RAC!

Unfortunately for these environmental programs, which had barely gotten off the ground at the time, the global economic crisis of the mid-1970s forced the RF into making financial cuts. By the end of the decade, the relatively new Quality of the Environment program was disbanded.

📸:
Rockefeller Foundation records, RAC.

Claire has recently moved into the role of Communications Coordinator, a brand new position at the RAC. She brings to th...
06/04/2026

Claire has recently moved into the role of Communications Coordinator, a brand new position at the RAC. She brings to the RAC more than a decade and a half of communications experience with expertise in non-profit advocacy, social media marketing, and digital communications strategy. She is excited to continue to help us continue to expand our reach and we are happy to welcome her into this position!

Did you know that we have a vegetable garden here at the RAC? Every year staff members join in to help plant, maintain, ...
06/03/2026

Did you know that we have a vegetable garden here at the RAC? Every year staff members join in to help plant, maintain, and harvest in the Jack Meyers Community Garden. We also have a pollinator garden that was just started last summer, we’re hoping to see it attract many helpful critters this year!

We got a head start on when staff headed out to prep the beds for planting in May. Check back in throughout the summer to see some of our garden hauls. 🥒🍅🥬

The East Harlem Health Center was an early 20th-century experiment in community health care, created to coordinate servi...
06/02/2026

The East Harlem Health Center was an early 20th-century experiment in community health care, created to coordinate services across many neighborhood organizations including the American Red Cross (ARC), the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service, the Maternity Center Association, and the St. Timothy’s League. The Center also serving as a training ground for public health nurses.

Despite early success and measurable improvements in health outcomes in the district, the Center proved unable to sustain itself financially. You can read more about the lessons learned from the East Harlem Health Center in our RE:source story titled, “Success and Failure in Community-Based Healthcare: The East Harlem Health Center.” Find it at the link in our profile!

📸:
Rockefeller Foundation records, RAC.

Mashiat Sultana, one of our Spring 2026 interns, is sharing her reflections on the Rockefeller Archive Center internship...
06/01/2026

Mashiat Sultana, one of our Spring 2026 interns, is sharing her reflections on the Rockefeller Archive Center internship experience over on the Bits & Bytes blog. You can read the full piece at the link in our profile!

Let’s end with a photo of enough bikes for everyone! This 1963 photo shows executives participating in a business mana...
05/29/2026

Let’s end with a photo of enough bikes for everyone! This 1963 photo shows executives participating in a business management program inspecting a bicycle plant in the United Arab Emirates.

📸:
Ford Foundation records, RAC.

We recently shared the work done by a cross-functional team to audit RAC websites for accessibility issues. Now our User...
05/27/2026

We recently shared the work done by a cross-functional team to audit RAC websites for accessibility issues. Now our User Experience and Accessibility Analyst, Hannah, is back to share the plan for remediating problems and working towards making RAC sites more accessible to all!

This project will be focusing primarily on RAC-maintained websites (with separate plans made for those outside of our purview) and includes 14 total sites (9 public websites and 5 internal tools), addressing 203 issues.

These issues were categorized as high, moderate, and low severity based on user impact, and they will be remediated in order of severity, starting with the public-facing sites first. Hannah will be leading this project, working collaboratively with the Digital Strategies Team to address necessary changes.

Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated on progress and lessons learned along the way!

For ten years, the Archival Educators Roundtable, led by Education Program Manager, Marissa Vassari, has been connecting...
05/26/2026

For ten years, the Archival Educators Roundtable, led by Education Program Manager, Marissa Vassari, has been connecting professionals working in diverse settings to workshop new ideas, resources, and approaches to strengthen the GLEAM (that’s Galleries, Libraries, *Education*, Archives, and Museums) field. Marissa and AER colleagues Janet Bunde, Matt Herbison, Jen Hoyer, and Jenny Swadosh put together a report on AER’s first decade, titled Key Lessons from Ten Years of Practice.

Head to the link in our profile to read the full report and learn more!

Happy Memorial Day!📸: Rockefeller Family photographs, RAC.
05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day!

📸:
Rockefeller Family photographs, RAC.

It’s , where are you off to? 📸: Simpson family papers, RAC.
05/23/2026

It’s , where are you off to?

📸:
Simpson family papers, RAC.

Address

15 Dayton Avenue
Sleepy Hollow, NY
10591

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19143666300

Website

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