Alta Rockefeller Prentice
Encyclopedia
Alta Rockefeller Prentice (April 12, 1871 –June 21, 1962) was the third daughter of oil
tycoon John D. Rockefeller
(1839–1937) and his wife Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman
(1839–1915). Alta married Colonel Ezra Parmalee Prentice (July 29, 1863–1955), a prominent Chicago attorney
, son of Sartell Prentice and wife Jemima Parmalee, in 1901. Alta and Ezra had three children: John Rockefeller Prentice
(1902–1972), Mary Adeline Prentice Gilbert (1907-1981), and Spelman Prentice (1911–2000).
She founded Alta House (c. 1900), a settlement house in Little Italy in Cleveland
, Ohio
, which is named in her honor.
In 1910, Alta and Ezra bought 1,400 acres (5.7 km²) of land near Williamstown
, Massachusetts
. Elm Tree House, the Prentices' 72-room summer home on Mount Hope Farm, was completed in 1928. In the 1930s and 1940s, several geneticists were employed by Ezra to develop more profitable farm animals, particularly cattle
and poultry
. At that time, Mount Hope Farm was one of the most outstanding experimental farms in the United States
.
Alta died in 1962. Her property was willed to New York's Lenox Hill Hospital
. Shortly thereafter, Elm Tree House was purchased by its current owner, Williams College
.
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
tycoon John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
(1839–1937) and his wife Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman
Laura Spelman Rockefeller
Laura Celestia Spelman Rockefeller, , , was a philanthropist, the namesake of Spelman College, founded to educate black women in the South, and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, and the wife of John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil...
(1839–1915). Alta married Colonel Ezra Parmalee Prentice (July 29, 1863–1955), a prominent Chicago attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, son of Sartell Prentice and wife Jemima Parmalee, in 1901. Alta and Ezra had three children: John Rockefeller Prentice
John Rockefeller Prentice
John Rockefeller Prentice was born to Chicago lawyer Ezra Parmalee Prentice and Alta Rockefeller Prentice in New York. Prentice's maternal grandfather is the Standard Oil tycoon, John D. Rockefeller ....
(1902–1972), Mary Adeline Prentice Gilbert (1907-1981), and Spelman Prentice (1911–2000).
She founded Alta House (c. 1900), a settlement house in Little Italy in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, which is named in her honor.
In 1910, Alta and Ezra bought 1,400 acres (5.7 km²) of land near Williamstown
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Elm Tree House, the Prentices' 72-room summer home on Mount Hope Farm, was completed in 1928. In the 1930s and 1940s, several geneticists were employed by Ezra to develop more profitable farm animals, particularly cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
. At that time, Mount Hope Farm was one of the most outstanding experimental farms in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Alta died in 1962. Her property was willed to New York's Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital, on Manhattan's Upper East Side in New York City, is a 652-bed, acute care hospital and a major teaching affiliate of New York University Medical Center. Founded in 1857 as the German Dispensary, today's 10-building Lenox Hill Hospital complex has occupied its present site since...
. Shortly thereafter, Elm Tree House was purchased by its current owner, Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
.
Extended links
- The Elm Tree House at Mount Hope Farm
- Her mother's biography at the Rockefeller Archives