After a courtship that lasted five years, Abby Aldrich married John D. Rockefeller at a lavish wedding ceremony on Warwick Neck, Rhode Island on October 9, 1901.
Rockefeller's correspondence with his docile son John D. Jr. is surprisingly eloquent. Between the lines, these letters reveal the strong personalities and the sometimes strained relationships of these two very different Rockefellers.
Here is a sample of the appeals (with original spelling and grammar retained) that drove Rockefeller to seek more organized and efficient ways to donate his money.
