Jay Rockefeller: A Legacy in West Virginia and Beyond

Former U.S. Senator John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) has passed away at the age of 89. According to The Washington Post and the Associated Press, he died on Thursday night at his home in Washington. Mary Stewart, vice president for external affairs at WETA where Rockefeller’s wife, Sharon, serves as president and CEO, confirmed the news.

Rockefeller represented West Virginia in the Senate from 1985 to 2015. He played a significant role in enhancing the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure, safeguarding consumer rights, and ensuring coal miners’ safety. An image of Sen. Jay Rockefeller speaking during a congressional hearing on December 2, 2014, highlights his active role in legislative matters.

Condolences flooded social media on Friday from West Virginia lawmakers, including Republicans in the state he served as a Democrat. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who succeeded Rockefeller, described him as “a true gentleman” and highlighted their bipartisan friendship. Sen. Jim Justice (R) commended Rockefeller for impacting numerous lives. Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) acknowledged Rockefeller’s contributions to healthcare and his dedication to coal miners and veterans.

Former Sen. Joe Manchin expressed admiration for Rockefeller, referring to him as a mentor and friend. Manchin noted, “He adopted us and we adopted him as a true West Virginian.” In 2013, Rockefeller and Manchin supported legislation against workplace discrimination for LGBTQ Americans.

Born in New York City on June 18, 1937, Rockefeller hailed from a prominent family. His great-grandfather, John D. Rockefeller, co-founded Standard Oil and was the first billionaire in 1916. The Rockefeller family included other political figures, such as uncles Nelson, a former Vice President of the U.S., and Winthrop, a governor of Arkansas.

Rockefeller received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1961 and began graduate studies at Yale University. He left Yale early to join the Peace Corps as an assistant to Sargent Shriver and became the first director of its program in the Philippines.

In the mid-1960s, Rockefeller moved to West Virginia with the VISTA program. He entered politics as a state House Delegate in 1966 and became the state’s Secretary of State in 1968. After losing a gubernatorial race in 1973, he served as president of West Virginia Wesleyan College.

“There was a lot of feeling that he wouldn’t stay [in West Virginia] after he lost the election,” said United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts in a 1983 profile of Rockefeller. “But he did stay, and people’s opinion of him changed.”

Rockefeller eventually became governor in 1976, serving two terms. In 1984, he entered the U.S. Senate, marking a long career in national politics. After retiring in 2015, he joined the Council on Foreign Relations and donated his Senate archives to West Virginia University, which opened an exhibit on his legacy in 2016.