Jay Rockefeller was born on June 18th, 1937 in New York City to parents Blanchette Ferry Rockefeller and John D. Rockefeller III. He attended Exeter Academy, where he graduated in 1955, and then went on to Harvard University. After receiving his Bachelors degree in Far Eastern Languages and History from Harvard University in 1961, he worked in the Peace Corps under President John F. Kennedy’s guidance. In 1964, Rockefeller moved to Emmons, West Virginia where he continued his long career of public service. He was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1966, where he served until his election as West Virginia Secretary of State in 1968. During this time he married his wife, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, with whom he has four children and six grandchildren.
In 1973 he became the President of Wesleyan College, a post he held until 1976 when he was elected West Virginia’s Governor. He was re-elected in 1980 and served four more years until 1984, when he was elected into the United States Senate, barely beating republican businessman John Raese by just 4.1 percent. He has since been re-elected four more times by much wider margins, most recently in 2008 when he defeated Republican Jay Wolfe by 27.4 percent. Senator Rockefeller has been a longtime supporter of available, improved healthcare for all citizens. He also advocates for the West Virginia steel, coal and chemical industries and has been working on policies for West Virginia energy independence. A longtime believer in the significance of children and stability in their family lives, Senator Rockefeller has co-written legislation for enhanced educational opportunities, a minimum wage boost, adoption and foster care, censorship of violence and profanity on television, and connection of all schools and libraries to the World Wide Web.
Senator Rockefeller currently oversees the nation’s intelligence program as a member of the Senate Committee on Intelligence, and has been very critical towards the war in Iraq. He currently is Chairman of two committees, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Health Care Subcommittee on Finance. Because of his status as Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Senator Rockefeller is also an ex officio member of each of the seven Subcommittees. He is also a member the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, drafting successful legislation that required the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide comprehensive care services to the nation’s veterans. |
