Jay Rockefeller
John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937) is a retired American politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia (1985–2015). He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as governor of West Virginia (1977–1985). Rockefeller moved to Emmons, West Virginia, to serve as a VISTA worker in 1964 and was first elected to public office as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates (1966-1968). Rockefeller was later elected secretary of state of West Virginia (1968–1973) and was president of West Virginia Wesleyan College (1973–1975). He became the state's senior U.S. senator when the long-serving Senator Robert Byrd died in June 2010.
Jay Rockefeller | |
|---|---|
| United States Senator from West Virginia | |
| In office January 15, 1985 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Jennings Randolph |
| Succeeded by | Shelley Moore Capito |
| Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Inouye |
| Succeeded by | John Thune |
| Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Pat Roberts |
| Succeeded by | Dianne Feinstein |
| Chair of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee | |
| In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Arlen Specter |
| Succeeded by | Arlen Specter |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Arlen Specter |
| Succeeded by | Arlen Specter |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Alan Cranston |
| Succeeded by | Alan Simpson |
| 29th Governor of West Virginia | |
| In office January 17, 1977 – January 14, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Arch A. Moore Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Arch A. Moore Jr. |
| 22nd Secretary of State of West Virginia | |
| In office January 13, 1969 – January 15, 1973 | |
| Governor | Arch A. Moore Jr. |
| Preceded by | Robert D. Bailey Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Hike Heiskell |
| Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from Kanawha County | |
| In office December 1, 1966 – December 1, 1968 | |
| Preceded by | 12 members
|
| Succeeded by | 4 members
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Rockefeller June 18, 1937 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (1966–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (before 1966) |
| Spouse |
Sharon Percy (m. 1967) |
| Children |
|
| Parent(s) | John Davison Rockefeller III Blanchette Ferry Hooker |
| Relatives | See Rockefeller family |
| Education | Harvard University (AB) International Christian University Yale University |
| Signature | |
Rockefeller is a great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, who died less than a month before Jay's birth. He was the only serving politician of the Rockefeller family during his tenure in the United States Senate, and the only one to have held office as a Democrat, in what has been a traditionally Republican family (though he too was originally a Republican until he decided to run for office in the then-heavily Democratic state). Rockefeller did not seek reelection in 2014 and was succeeded by Republican U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito.