Winthrop Rockefeller

From New Yorker to Arkansawyer, 1912-1956

By: John A. Kirk

Narrated by: Tom Lennon

Why did Winthrop Rockefeller, scion of one of the most powerful families in American history, leave New York for an Arkansas mountaintop in the 1950s? In this richly detailed biography of the former Arkansas governor, John A. Kirk delves into the historical record to fully unravel that mystery for the first time. Kirk pursues clues threaded throughout Rockefeller’s life, tracing his family background, childhood, and education; his rise in the oil industry from roustabout to junior executive; his military service in the Pacific during World War II, including his involvement in the battles of Guam, Leyte, and Okinawa; his postwar work in race relations, health, education, and philanthropy; his marriage to and divorce from Barbara “Bobo” Sears; and the birth of his only child, future Arkansas lieutenant governor Win Paul Rockefeller. This careful examination of Winthrop Rockefeller’s first 44 years casts a powerful new light on his relationship with his adopted state, where his legacy continues to be felt more than half a century after his governorship.

The book is published by The University of Arkansas Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2022 The University of Arkansas Press (P)2022 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Intriguing portrait of a figure whose prelude to power distinguished him from other southern leaders of the era.” (Ben F. Johnson III, author of Arkansas in Modern America Since 1930)

“In this authoritative biography, Kirk delves into Rockefeller’s ‘prehistory'.” (Barbara Shubinski, Rockefeller Archive Center, Sleepy Hollow, New York)

“In this definitive biography, John A. Kirk stitches together a treasure trove of family letters and other significant documents.” (Marta M. Loyd, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Morrilton, Arkansas)