Quotes By David Rockefeller

The conventional notions of art have changed, and a lot of things done today are considered works of art that would have been rejected in the past.

Mother's taste was eclectic and ranged from the ancient world to the contemporary from Europe to the U.S.

I hope the Guggenheim plan will be revived.

I owe much to mother. She had an expert's understanding, but also approached art emotionally.

I think I am basically a happy person.

I think of art as the highest level of creativity. To me, it is one of the greatest sources of enjoyment.

I realize how fortunate I have been; mine has been a wonderful life.

Only once in my life was I on the edge of incivility. I do not like to be unkind.

MoMA is doubling its space, and I decided to raise the money for it.

The Japanese banks are not having an easy time as they once had.

I believe that government is the servant of the people and not their master.

A museum has to renew its collection to be alive, but that does not mean we give on important old works.

I do not like to be unkind.

You know, gentlemen, that I do not owe any personal income tax. But nevertheless, I send a small check, now and then, to the Internal Revenue Service out of the kindness of my heart.

By a museum, I assume you mean an institution dedicated to the events of Sept. 11 and the aftermath. If that is done with sensitivity, I think it would be most appropriate.

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.

Eventually, most people felt MoMA had filled a very important gap.

My grandfather, along with Carnegie, was a pioneer in philanthropy, which my father then practiced on a very large scale.

I can only say that I have had a wonderful life.

Father was the eldest son and the heir apparent, and he set the standard for being a Rockefeller very high, so every achievement was taken for granted and perfection was the norm.

Only once in my life was I on the edge of incivility.

I learned more from my mother than from all the art historians and curators who have informed me about technical aspects of art history and art appreciation over the years.

I never kept a diary, but I wrote detailed notes of my travels.

The Christian ethic played an essential part in my upbringing.

It is true that I am often startled and even angered and repulsed by the strange directions and provocative content of new forms that seem to pop up every few months.

I was brought up feeling that art is a very important part of one's life. It's something that I not only enjoy, it's something I can share with others.

Philanthropy is involved with basic innovations that transform society, not simply maintaining the status quo or filling basic social needs that were formerly the province of the public sector.

The Japanese have a wonderful sense of design and a refinement in their art. They try to produce beautiful paintings with the minimum number of strokes.

When I see something I like, I buy it, but I do not look for it madly.

They decided to establish a museum of modern art where works by contemporary artists would be shown. Mother was viewed as a very progressive person, and not everybody liked the paintings she bought.