Stop 1: Front of Institute
Winthrop once spent an extended period on restricted activity, due to a childhood ailment, and learned that he could burn paper or wood by concentrating the sun’s rays using a flashlight lens. He took his lens and burned a verse of Edgar Guest’s poem “It Couldn’t Be Done” into a clean piece of plywood.Winthrop Rockefeller, in “A Letter To My Son”“I think that is one of the truest and most useful bits of philosophy that has come into my life, and I have thought of it many times when people tried to tell me why things couldn’t be done. I still have that piece of plywood on my office wall.”“It Couldn’t Be Done” by Edgar Albert GuestSomebody said that it couldn’t be done But he with a chuckle repliedThat “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried he hid it.He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it!
Stop 2: Boat House Road
Abby Rockefeller, Winthrop’s mother, encouraged her children to take a genuine interest in people and their work. She insisted on Winthrop and the other children spending time in the kitchens learning to cook and serve food (photo 1). The Rockefeller children were each required to tend his/her own garden plot and sell the produce to earn spending money (photo 2).Rockefeller Family (photo 3):From left, back row: John D. Rockefeller, Jr.From left, middle row: Abby Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller 3rdFrom left, front row: Winthrop Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, Laurence S. Rockefeller, Nelson A. RockefellerFrom his parents, Winthrop learned the special responsibility to help others help themselves. The Institute has adopted the RESPONSIBILITY of a convener, much as Winthrop Rockefeller did when he lived on the mountain (photo 4). We bring diverse viewpoints together to engage in collaborative problem solving and respectful dialogue in order to create transformational change. We are challenging others, much as Winthrop Rockefeller did, to adopt the responsibility of searching for solutions to make the world a better place.Reflection Question: Take a few moments to reflect upon the influences in your life from your own family and loved ones.Who in your life influenced your responsibility to others?What advice would this person give you about your leadership role today?
Stop 3: Midway Lake Abbey
The lake you see is called “Lake Abby”, named after Winthrop’s mother, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, with whom he was very close (photo 1). Abby was an outgoing and vivacious socialite, a compassionate and warm woman who enjoyed life to its fullest and loved and welcomed interactions with people from all walks of life (photo 2). She was an early influence on Winthrop and his adoption of the Rockefeller Ethic.Influenced by his mother and their close relationship, Winthrop developed a deep respect for all people- regardless of their color, religion, status or beliefs. This value would endure throughout Winthrop’s life: in his early career, in his military service, and eventually as governor of Arkansas.The Institute fosters an environment of connection in order to help people create transformational change, where people have to be willing to hear things they might not agree with, and where everyone must be willing to come to the table with those who have a stake in the problem we are trying to solve (photo 3). RELATIONSHIPS take time and effort to be authentic, and they require people to become known for who they really are, not just by a name.
Stop 4: Playground Seesaw
Winthrop found himself amongst the youngest of the Rockefeller brothers and in the awkward position of middle child – three years younger than Laurence and two years older than the baby, David (photo 1). Winthrop refers to being teased by his older brothers growing up, and talks about how his fights with Laurence and Nelson helped him learn to control his temper.Photograph of Winthrop and Sibilings, from left to right:Abby Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Nelson Rockefeller, Laurence Rockefeller, and Winthrop RockefellerLook over at the seesaw and imagine Winthrop and Nelson at play (photo 2). Winthrop tells a story about losing his temper with Nelson:“I had an extraordinarily bad temper and when they were teasing me, I used to fly off the handle. When that happened, one of them would sit on my head, and the other on my feet until I cooled off. But one Sunday morning they didn’t quite catch me in time. Nelson and I were playing seesaw. He was much heavier than I, and every time he’d get me up in the air, he’d jump off, and let me go banging to the ground. A more mature person would have decided there was no sense in continuing that game, but each time Nelson assured me he wouldn’t do it again, and I’d start the game again. About the third or fourth time he let me drop, I grabbed a pitchfork which someone had left nearby, and started after him. Nelson turned and ran. I don’t know how I was able to catch him, but I did - and jabbed him in the knee.”Winthrop, in “A Letter to My Son” tells the story of learning to control his temper and advises his young son against letting his temper get the best of him. “Losing one’s temper, Win, is a luxury that no one can afford. You gain nothing by it – and you may lose a lot.
Stop 5: Pine Grove
“We found out that some of the beautiful old trees up there were right in the way of where we need to put up buildings or open roads… They said that I’d have to either sacrifice the trees or my plans, but I suggested that we just move the trees. And we did.” -Winthrop Rockefeller (edited)
Stop 6: Midpoint Butterfly Garden
The Rockefeller siblings were all raised to believe in philanthropy. Together they would found the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which was essentially a combined checkbook that provided the collective philanthropy to support their special responsibility toward making the world a little bit better place in which to live, as their parents had taught them (photo 1).Winthrop had a different perspective on life than his siblings. Winthrop had a connection to “the common man” that seemed to begin early in his life, something many credit to his mother.Rather than pursue a career as an executive in the family business as might have been expected of him, he opted instead to do things his own way and learn the oil business from “the ground up.” Winthrop’s first experience in the production side of the oil business was when he took a position with the Humble Oil Company in Texas (photo 2). Winthrop, or “Rock” as the men would call him, began work in the oilfields in the summer of 1933, working first as a roustabout and later as a roughneck working on the drills.In “A Letter to My Son,” Winthrop writes extensively about his relationships with the men in the oil fields, how they didn’t trust him at first but that soon changed when they learned that he would work as hard as they did, that he didn’t mind getting dirty, and that he treated them all as equals (photo 3).“I wanted to live on what I could earn, rather than on my last name."And “Rock” was successful in not only earning a living with his hands, but also earning the respect of his fellow workers with the sweat of his brow and determination.
Stop 7: Stables
Winthrop had the chance to prove himself one day when the oil drill hit a gas pocket and the mud used to stabilize the pressure in the well began to foam (photo 1). If not quickly rectified, the foaming mud can quickly become diluted and the well can explode. The driller on the well was a man named Amos Yarbrough, and Winthrop tells the story about Amos asking Winthrop and another young man to “mix some new mud" (photo 2).“Some of the mud and cuttings from the bit, as they come out of the well, are dumped into one of several reserve pits near the well. After the mud has been setting for some time, it becomes almost gelatinous, and someone has to walk into the pit - about 50 feet square - with a high pressure hose, and stir it up. So I and the other chap walked into that mud up to our waists. We stood there, with the hose, for four hours, mixing the mud and forcing it out of the pit so Amos could use it in the well. I’ve never been so cold. It was raw, and miserable, and the damp cold went through my clothes, my skin, my flesh - into my bones. The relief man should have gone into the pit with me. But he wasn’t having any part of it. He stood on the bank “holding the hose” for us. The chap with me had a few things to say about that, but there wasn’t time to argue. We had to have the mud right now, so we jumped in and mixed it. That night at the boarding house where some of the crew lived, the relief man began sounding off about this guy Rockefeller. “What the hell’s he doing, coming down here and taking a job away from some guy that really needs it?” he asked - and added some other uncomplimentary remarks.Almost as one man, the boys jumped him. “Look,” one of them said, “you could talk that way if you had anything yourself to back it up. But who was it mixed that mud today - while you stood on the bank? Rockefeller is willing and able to work - and that’s more than you are. We’ll take him, and you can go back to the farm.”Winthrop was “choked up” when he heard about the men coming to his defense that night. He tells his son that those roughnecks taught him something very important about relationships (photo 3). According to Winthrop Rockefeller in “A Letter to My Son”:“Be honest and straightforward with men, pull your share of the load, and the rewards they will give you - spontaneously, readily and willingly - will be far greater than anything you can ever hope for. That is true in the oil fields - it is true in the army - it is true in every place and activity in life.”“You can win the Respect and confidence of any man who respects himself, if you give a little effort to understanding him, his background, his thoughts and needs - and if you show by your actions, and not just by words, that you respect him.” As a convener, the Institute helps groups create transformational change by using tools and techniques to foster respectful dialogue between groups and individuals (photo 4). By fostering RESPECT across differences we seek to better understand those different from us and we can begin to arrive at shared goals and solutions.
Stop 8: Wooden Fence by The Grove
Winthrop left Texas in 1937 after working four years in the oil fields. He went on to serve the family business in other roles, including a stint working in Europe in the years leading up to WWII (photo 1a). His observation of the rise of Nazi Germany helped him understand how destructive hatred and prejudice can be and would inspire him to enlist as a private in the Army in January of 1941 (photo 1b). After Winthrop enlisted, he was stationed and fought in Guam and the Philippines before being wounded in a kamikaze attack on the troopship the USS Henrico during the invasion of Okinawa (photo 2a). The ship caught fire. Despite severe burns to his hands and head, Winthrop, the only surviving officer on board, kept command of his unit until reinforcements arrived (photo 2b). He received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Clusters for his actions (photo 2c).
Stop 9: Left Fork Road to Studio
Winthrop’s life took a dramatic turn in 1953 when an old Army buddy, Frank Newell of Little Rock, invited him to come to Arkansas for a visit (photo 1). Standing atop Petit Jean Mountain, Winthrop fell in love with Arkansas (photo 2). He called the day he arrived in the state “the beginning of a new life” for him, and said that “The real sunrise of my dream came when I moved up to my mountaintop.”What he saw in addition to the magnificent natural beauty of Petit Jean Mountain were“neighbors all across… with enthusiasm for life, warmth and generosity.”Perhaps you can see why this mountain enchanted Winthrop. He loved the promise he saw in Arkansas.
Stop 11: Fitness Center
Winthrop saw with great clarity the tremendous obstacles facing Arkansas in 1953 (photo 1). The state had yet to make a move from an agrarian economy to an industrialized one, and had lost 8.4% of its population between 1940-1960 due to the lack of jobs. Winthrop believed that competition would strengthen the political discourse and improve the quality of candidates running for office, saying,“With no alternatives, there are no challenges, and with no challenges there is no change.”For Winthrop, the party label wasn’t important, what was important was presenting an alternative for voters to consider (photos 2a and 2b). He convened meetings here on the mountain to consider what a two-party system would look like in Arkansas (photo 2c). Eventually, Winthrop ran for Governor of Arkansas as a Republican and won (photo 2d).As Arkansas’ 37th governor, Winthrop brought needed reforms to Arkansas’s system of government, championed civil rights and opportunities for African-Americans, and inspired belief in economic opportunity and social justice in Arkansas (photo 3).
Stop 12: WR's Office at Institute
“Since leaving his cave, man never has found what he was searching for; been anywhere near what he was content to be. Neither, going forward, will he ever get there.”January 10, 1967, Winthrop Rockefeller became Arkansas’s first Republican governor since 1874 (photo 1). Listen to his inauguration speech (photo 2 and audio link).Re-elected in 1968, Winthrop would come to be known as transformational governor. He would bring much needed prison reform to the state (photo 3). He would make a case for better investments in public schools. He would shine a light on corruption in government. He would make a strong case for Arkansas to invest in itself by raising taxes – strong enough that after his defeat in 1970 a democratic governor and legislature would finally pass his tax package. He took a difficult and unpopular but courageous stand on civil rights. His willingness to “do what couldn’t be done” helped Arkansas set the stage for a true two-party, competitive system for the first time ever in its history. By raising a challenge to the old ways and creating an “alternative” in politics, he had opened eyes and sharpened views. He had brought long overdue reform to a state that badly needed it. As Arkansas’ 37th governor, Winthrop brought needed reforms to Arkansas’s system of government, championed civil rights and opportunities for African-Americans, and inspired belief in economic opportunity and social justice in Arkansas. REFORM is the outcome of collaborative problem solving. The Institute convenes groups to consider how to make changes in our society that create a better world. By bringing together diverse viewpoints, fostering mutual respect and understanding, committing to entrepreneurial thinking, and asking an important question designed to reform, indeed, designed to transform. We always ask the question “What do you want to be different when you leave?”
Stop 13: Contact Us
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