Today marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Nelson A. Rockefeller, the third child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and the man responsible for throwing open the doors of Kykuit, the family's grand Pocantico Hills estate, to the public.

The governor of New York from 1959 to 1973 and vice president of the United States under President Gerald Ford, Nelson's bipartisan record of public service included serving in the administrations of FDR and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Marking the centennial of his birth, the historian Richard Norton Smith penned a fascinating op-ed piece in yesterday's New York Times that is well worth a read. Mr. Smith cites his significant achievements as governor and argues that Nelson was ahead of his time politically:

Three decades later, "Rockefeller Republican" is widely seen as a contradiction in terms. Largely forgotten is the original meaning of the phrase, a counterintuitive coupling of late '50s fiscal responsibility and early '60s social justice - the same formula espoused by a majority of today's electorate, for whom solving problems and forging consensus takes precedence over ideological purity.

Incidentally, Mr. Smith is working on a biography of Nelson, due to publish next year, and will be speaking at a special Historic Hudson Valley symposium on Nelson taking place in September. But, more on that later. For now, enjoy the op-ed.

We rather enjoyed this extended piece about Kykuit, John D. Rockefeller, wealth, and philanthropy by David Patrick Columbia, published last week on his always lively New York Social Diary web page. While exploring the lessons of philanthropy, Mr. Columbia provides us with an excellent mini-biopic of JDR (shown here with his son, Junior).

Here's a choice passage:

Someone once said that John D. Rockefeller was an old man at 18 and a young man at 80. At eighteen he wanted to become the richest man in the world. At eighty he wanted to do good works and live comfortably, enjoying the fruits of his labors. Philanthropy and self-discipline were the keys to his success with his ultimate goal.

Go here for the full story.