J. Richardson Dilworth


Joseph Richardson Dilworth was a leading businessman best known for being a lawyer for the Rockefeller family.

Early life and career

Dilworth was born in Long Island, New York and graduated from Yale University in 1938, where he was a member of Skull and Bones, and the Yale Law school in 1942. He was a partner of the investment bank Kuhn, Loeb & Co. from 1952 to 1958.

Rockefeller Financial Advisor

Dilworth is best known for being the leading manager of Room 5600, known now as Rockefeller Family & Associates, the family office of the Rockefeller family, situated on the 54-56th floors of the GE Building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, in Rockefeller Center.
Beginning in 1956, he headed the family office and was the senior financial adviser to the family and its investments and philanthropic institutions for 23 years, retiring in 1981. During this time he also sat on the board of directors of the family-associated Chase Manhattan Bank and was a personal friend of its chairman, David Rockefeller.
In 1974 he came into public prominence when he appeared before the United States Congress during the confirmation hearings for Nelson Rockefeller's nomination by Gerald Ford for the vice-presidency; during his presentation to Congressmen he outlined the overall wealth of Nelson's family.
In his service for the six-generation dynastic clan, Dilworth served up until 1982 as the chair of the company that previously owned Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Center Inc., which is now the Rockefeller Group. He also sat on the boards of many other corporations, some of which were directly associated with the family.
On Monday, December 29, 1997, J. Richardson Dilworth died at the age of 81 at the Princeton Hospital in Princeton, New Jersey, the community where he lived during retirement.

Notable Employees

While Dilworth worked for a famed employer - the Rockefellers - he also had at least one notable employee working for him. In 1963-1964, will still associated with Dilworth, William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. served as Assistant Counsel to that 36th U.S. President's Commission most commonly referred to as the Warren Commission.