Flags in West Virginia are being flown at half-staff to honor Jay Rockefeller, the former governor and U.S. senator who died at age 89.
West Virginia’s current governor, Patrick Morrisey, issued a proclamation ordering United States and West Virginia flags at the state Capitol Complex and all state-owned facilities across West Virginia to be flown at half-staff through sunrise Nov. 13 in honor of Rockefeller.
“West Virginia has lost a man who devoted much of his life to serving our state and its people,” said Morrisey, a Republican.
“Jay Rockefeller’s career in public service spanned nearly five decades, including two terms as governor and 30 years representing West Virginia in the United States Senate. His decades of service deserve our respect and gratitude, and his legacy will remain an important part of West Virginia’s history.
Condolences and tributes continued to pour in as West Virginians reacted to the death of Rockefeller, who served as a United States senator from West Virginia from 1985 to 2015 and previously as governor of West Virginia from 1977 to 1985.
“Jay Rockefeller leaves a legacy of compassion and dedication to West Virginia. His commitment to children, healthcare, technology, innovation, and economic development are some of the hallmarks for which he will be remembered,” said former Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, a Democrat.
Born into the prominent Rockefeller family in New York City, Rockefeller moved in 1964 to Emmons, an unincorporated community along the Big Coal River in both Boone County and Kanawha County, to serve as a Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) worker.
He became entrenched in West Virginia politics in an era when the state was dominated by Democrats.
“West Virginia has lost a giant, and our nation has lost a remarkable public servant,” said West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin.
“Jay Rockefeller was born into one of the wealthiest and most privileged families in American history. He could have spent his entire life enjoying every comfort and opportunity that wealth could provide. Instead, he chose a different path. He came to the hills of West Virginia as a young VISTA volunteer, saw the struggles of working families firsthand, and made it his life’s mission to do something about them.”
Rockefeller was first elected to public office as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, where he served from 1966 to 1968. Rockefeller was later elected to serve as West Virginia’s in a term from 1968 to 1973.
Rockefeller ran for governor in 1972 but lost the general election to the Republican incumbent, Arch Moore.
Rockefeller went to serve instead as president of West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1973 to 1975.
“Senator Rockefeller’s life reminds us that the true measure of public service is not found in the offices one holds or the years spent in them, but in the lives made better along the way,” West Virginia Wesleyan President James Moore said.
“Of the many pictures the College has of Senator Rockefeller during his presidency, most show him engaging with students in meaningful ways. I’ve always drawn a lot of inspiration from the stories I’ve heard about how he connected with students on a personal level. His enduring legacy of compassion, leadership, and devotion to others exemplifies what it means to dedicate one’s life to the greater good.”
Rockefeller won the 1976 race for governor after moderating his stance on coal and strip mining, earning more trust from labor and miners.
“America’s coal miners lost a true friend and steadfast supporter,” United Mine Workers President Brian Sanson said.
“Jay Rockefeller didn’t grow up in coal country. But from the moment he landed in West Virginia, he chose to stand right alongside working families. For fifty years he fought for coal miners across West Virginia and the United States.”
Rockefeller won re-election as governor in 1980 and then in 1984 was elected to the U.S. Senate to a seat formerly held by Jennings Randolph. He was re-elected in 1990, 1996, 2002 and 2008 by big margins.
The United Mine Workers union called his landmark achievement the Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Act in 1992, protecting medical benefits for more than 100,000 retired miners, widows and children.
“Senator Rockefeller was an honorary UMWA member and true champion of coal miners. His legacy will always live on throughout the coalfields of West Virginia,” Sanson said.
In the U.S. Senate, he became a leading advocate for healthcare reform.
He authored the Children’s Health Insurance Program, commonly called CHIP, that has provided health care coverage for millions of poor children. And he played a pivotal role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, advocating for a public insurance option.
“Senator Rockefeller understood that access to quality, affordable health care is fundamental to the strength and well-being of our families and communities. He devoted much of his life to making sure that children, working families, seniors, and some of our most vulnerable neighbors were not left behind,” said Ellen Allen, executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care.
Born in 1937, Rockefeller was the great grandson of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. Jay Rockefeller was a Harvard graduate who spent three years studying Japanese at the International Christian University in Tokyo.
That background helped Rockefeller play a pivotal role in bringing Toyota Motor Corporation to West Virginia, establishing a decades-long economic and diplomatic connection between the state and Japan.
His relentless advocacy, leadership and belief in our state were instrumental in bringing Toyota to Buffalo. Our facility stands as a testament to his foresight and legacy,” said David Rosier, president of Toyota West Virginia.
West Virginia University paid tribute to Rockefeller, saying he helped create and advance key West Virginia University programs and units to enrich learning experiences for students and address healthcare needs statewide. For his many contributions to the university, Rockefeller was inducted into the WVU Order of Vandalia in 2009.
Following his 30-year tenure in the U.S. Senate, Rockefeller donated his papers, the John D. Rockefeller IV Senatorial Archives, to WVU Libraries, what Rockefeller called “a living record of my work.”
After he announced his retirement from the U.S. Senate, WVU recognized Rockefeller’s contributions to the University through the John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science.
Rockefeller himself described his proudest accomplishment at WVU as the creation of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at WVU Health Sciences in honor of his mother, Blanchette Rockefeller, who battled Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years before her death.
The institute was founded by the Rockefeller family in 1999 to advance medical and scientific understanding of Alzheimer’s and other diseases of the brain, specifically memory disorders. The institute has become a global leader in the study and treatment of human memory, movement, and other neurological diseases.
“Sen. Rockefeller dedicated his life to serving others, especially West Virginians,” WVU President Michael Benson said.
“From building life-changing public policy programs to supporting groundbreaking healthcare research, his steadfast support of WVU over the years will continue as his legacy benefits current and future students, faculty, and staff. Our thoughts are with his family as all of us honor his legacy of service.”