Rockefeller, Martha Baird (1895–1971)
Rockefeller, Martha Baird (1895–1971)
American philanthropist and pianist. Born Martha Baird Allen in 1895; died in 1971; became second wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874–1960). John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was first married to Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (1874–1948).
Born in 1895, Martha Baird Rockefeller studied piano with Artur Schnabel, and performed in recitals and as a solo pianist before retiring in 1931. Twenty years later, she married John D. Rockefeller, Jr., scion of the wealthy Rockefeller family, and after his death in 1960 inherited a considerable amount of money. She used this inheritance to set up the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund, which distributed study grants to numerous young musicians, many of whom later became prominent. The fund was discontinued in 1982, 11 years after her death.