32. The Vice President Who Died in the Saddle
It must be sweet to be a Rockefeller – or at least to be Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (1908 – 1979). Born in the lap of luxury, this Rockefeller was an accomplished man who was a success both as a businessman and as a politician. He was an undersecretary of state for presidents FDR and Truman, and an undersecretary of Health, Education and Welfare for Eisenhower. He was New York’s governor from 1959 to 1973, and served as Gerald Ford’s vice president from 1974 to 1977. To cap off his illustrious life, he died while engaged in one of mankind’s most enjoyable activities: he kicked the bucket while getting his groove on.
Back in the days when both the two major parties were still big tents, with significant diversity of views within, Nelson Rockefeller was a liberal Republican. As New York’s governor, he led environmental protection efforts, expanded medical care, and created the New York State Council on the Art. He was so influential that an entire GOP faction of like-minded liberal Republicans came to be known as “Rockefeller Republicans”.