RE:source is a publication of the Rockefeller Archive Center (RAC), where a team of archivists, educators, and historians share stories, photo essays, timelines, educational resources, and updates on new research in RAC collections.
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Timeline: American Philanthropy, Agriculture, and the Challenges of Feeding the World
From demonstration farms launched when farming was still unmechanized to confronting climate change in the twenty-first century, American philanthropy has played a key role in shaping and supporting efforts to lift rural communities out of poverty through agriculture.
Spotlight on Philanthropic Support for Creativity and the Arts
An Overview of Rockefeller Foundation Support for the Performing Arts in the 20th Century
Although known for its work in science, medicine, and health, the Rockefeller Foundation supported a surprising number of performing arts activities.
American Choreographers: Funding the Creative Process
Grant makers and grantees cooperated to craft a unique program in dance.
Early Experiments in Public Broadcasting
The American public broadcast system as it exists today came out of years of work by organized philanthropy.
“Highest Standards”: Elite Philanthropy and Literary Black Voices during the Civil Rights Era
Against a backdrop of white, establishment concepts of literary excellence, one foundation struggled to appreciate Black voices.
Photo Essay: A Mother, a Son, and Modern Art
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller’s passion for modern art influenced her children, especially her son Nelson Rockefeller, and continues to reach the public through the museum she co-founded.
In Brief: James Baldwin’s Creative Writer’s Fellowship
How a foundation provided the final ingredient to an era-defining novel.
Rockefeller Foundation Funding for Literature
Supporting American writers and the journals that publish their work.
American Philanthropy in Asia
Timeline: American Philanthropy, Agriculture, and the Challenges of Feeding the World
From demonstration farms launched when farming was still unmechanized to confronting climate change in the twenty-first century, American philanthropy has played a key role in shaping and supporting efforts to lift rural communities out of poverty through agriculture.
New Research: Saudi Arabian Reform, West African Museums, Agrarian East Pakistan, and Robert Kokernot
This set of reports cites records from the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, as well as the papers of Robert Kokernot and Kenneth Smithburn.
Photo Essay: “Masterpieces of Asian Art in American Collections,” a 1960 Exhibition of the Asia Society
Asia Society’s first public exhibition in 1960, “Masterpieces of Asian Art in American Collections,” launched decades of exhibitions aimed at bringing Asian arts and cultures to American audiences. Photos show the broad range of diverse media and geographical areas represented in the exhibition.
New Research: International Baccalaureate, Mali Family Planning, Shadow Diplomat in Brazil, and Japanese Rural Health
This edition of our monthly series, New Research, highlights the global nature of our archives, with reports drawing from the records of the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Davison Fund, and the papers of several individuals.
New Research: South India Deltas, Postwar Taiwan Medicine, Office of Inter-American Affairs, and Chilean Agriculture
This edition of New Research features RAC Research Reports that cite records from the Ford Foundation, the China Medical Board, and the Rockefeller Foundation, and the papers of Nelson A. Rockefeller.
New Research: Student Exchanges, Education in India, Peking Union Medical College, and Climate Change
This particular set of reports cites records from the Institute of International Education, the Ford Foundation, the China Medical Board, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Their authors come from three different continents.
Near East Relief Document Analysis Websites
Grades 4 – 8. The following unit engages students with archival material related to Near East Relief. The unit framework, primary sources, and resources can be integrated into classrooms of grades 4-8. Each lesson has student objectives that can be accomplished within 40 minute periods over the course of several weeks. The final project will be…
In Case You Missed It
New Research: Saudi Arabian Reform, West African Museums, Agrarian East Pakistan, and Robert Kokernot
This set of reports cites records from the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, as well as the papers of Robert Kokernot and Kenneth Smithburn.