A Legacy of Giving Back
Philanthropist and environmentalist David Rockefeller Jr. spoke with Jack Brennan, retired CEO and chair of Vanguard and a member of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees, on his lifelong commitment to giving back. Rockefeller, who has served as citizen chair of the National Parks Foundation and chair of the Rockefeller Foundation, has dedicated himself to furthering his family’s contributions to education, the arts, innovation, conservation and social justice.
Experience the Event
Monday, November 25, 2024 12:00 pm
Philanthropist and environmentalist David Rockefeller Jr. spoke with Jack Brennan, retired CEO and chair of Vanguard and a member of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees, on his lifelong commitment to giving back. Rockefeller, who has served as citizen chair of the National Parks Foundation and chair of the Rockefeller Foundation, has dedicated himself to furthering his family’s contributions to education, the arts, innovation, conservation and social justice.
This September 12, 2024 conversation was part of the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum that answers the question “What Do We Owe Each Other?” and was sponsored by the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership. For more information on the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum Inauguration Series, please click here.
Since its establishment in 2005, each year the Notre Dame Forum invites campus-wide dialogue about issues of importance to the University, the nation, and the larger world. This year’s theme, chosen by Father Dowd, invites reflection on our responsibilities to one another. In a world where ideological and cultural divisions seem to have deepened, the Forum aims to bring people together across differences to face the most pressing challenges of our time.
MoreMeet the Speaker: David Rockefeller Jr.
David Rockefeller Jr. is a long-standing philanthropist and environmentalist. He has held many positions amongst Rockefeller-related entities, as well as in nonprofits that support the arts and the environment. Mr. Rockefeller previously served as Chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, as well as President of the Rockefeller Family Fund. He was twice Chairman of Rockefeller & Company, which became Rockefeller Capital Management in 2018, and where he now serves as a Director. He is a trustee of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the David Rockefeller Fund, as well as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. True to his family’s legacy of land preservation, Mr. Rockefeller served as Citizen Chair of the National Parks Foundation from 1995 to 2005. Mr. Rockefeller is a life trustee of the Museum of Modern Art, a trustee of the Asian Cultural Council, and a fellow of the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Mr. Rockefeller’s commitment to environmental preservation—and passion for sailing—led him to found the nonprofit organization Sailors for the Sea (SfS) in 2004. In 2018 SfS joined forces with the global ocean conservation organization Oceana, becoming one of its programs. Mr. Rockefeller is now a director of Oceana.
Meet the Speaker: Jack Brennan
Jack Brennan is a member of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees and also serves as chairman emeritus and senior advisor of Vanguard, one of the world’s largest investment companies.
Headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Vanguard currently has more than $4 trillion in assets under management. Mr. Brennan joined Vanguard in July 1982. He was elected president in 1989, served as chief executive officer from 1996 to 2008, and served as chairman of the board from 1998 to 2009.
He is a director of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, American Express Company, and Rockefeller Capital Management; chairman of the board of trustees of the University of Notre Dame; a founding trustee of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); chairman of Vanguard Charitable; and a member of the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission. He is past chairman of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Financial Accounting Foundation, and the Investment Company Institute.
Brennan graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School. He has received honorary degrees from Curry College and Drexel University.
Brennan is married to Catharine J. Brennan, who graduated from Dartmouth College with an AB degree, and received her master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is the president of College Perspectives. They have three children who are graduates of Notre Dame: William (’06), Kara (’08), and Conor (’11).