Sharon Percy Rockefeller
| Sharon Percy Rockefeller | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1944 Oakland, California |
| Occupation | Chief executive officer of WETA-TV |
| Known for | First lady of West Virginia, 1977-1985 |
| Spouse(s) | John Davison Rockefeller IV (m. 1967—present) |
| Children | John Davison Rockefeller V Valerie Rockefeller Charles Rockefeller Justin Aldrich Rockefeller |
| Parent(s) | Charles Harting Percy Jeanne Valerie Dickerson |
Sharon Lee Percy Rockefeller (born December 10, 1944) is the wife of former West Virginia Senator John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV and served as that state's First Lady from 1977 to 1985.
She was born in Oakland, California, on December 10, 1944, a twin daughter of Senator Charles Harting Percy (1919—2011) and Jeanne Valerie Dickerson, who died in 1947. She earned a Bachelor's degree at Stanford University and later studied at Morris Harvey College and West Virginia Wesleyan College. Her twin sister Valerie was murdered in 1966 at the family home by a mysterious intruder.[1] Sharon married John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born 1937) in 1967. He is the son of John Davison Rockefeller III (1906—1978) and Blanchette Ferry Hooker (1909—1992) of the Rockefeller family. She and Jay have four children and six grandchildren.
As First Lady of West Virginia, she promoted the Public Broadcasting Service, helped establish a centralized system to assist mentally handicapped children, and founded Mountain Artisans, a quilting business for low-income artisans. She also campaigned to lower utility costs and to improve care for the elderly. After Jay was elected to the United States Senate in 1985, she became Chief executive officer of WETA-TV in Washington, D.C. She is a former member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group.[2]
The Rockefellers live in Northwest district of Washington, DC and retain their permanent residence in Charleston, West Virginia.[3]
In 2005 Percy Rockefeller was diagnosed with colon cancer, undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy.[4] Her cancer has since metastasized in the bones.[5] Her experience prompted her to convince film maker Ken Burns to produce the documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies. [6]
References
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| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | First Lady of West Virginia 1977 – 1985 |
Succeeded by Shelley Riley Moore |
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- ↑ "West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.
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- Pages with reference errors
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1944 births
- American women chief executives
- American media executives
- Dudley–Winthrop family
- First Ladies of West Virginia
- Living people
- Members of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group
- People from Charleston, West Virginia
- People from Chicago, Illinois
- Businesspeople from Oakland, California
- Rockefeller family
- Spouses of United States Senators
- Stanford University alumni
- National Humanities Medal recipients
- Twin people from the United States
- George Washington University trustee
