Representative Lewis Kirby Rockefeller

Lewis Kirby Rockefeller (November 25, 1875 – September 18, 1948) was a United States Representative from New York who served three terms in Congress from 1937 to 1943. A member of the Republican Party, he participated actively in the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his constituents in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rockefeller was born on November 25, 1875, in Schenectady, New York, to Spencer R. Rockefeller (1849–1925) and Henrietta “Nettie” (Kirby) Rockefeller (1853–1922). He attended the public schools of Schenectady and pursued higher education at the New York State College in Albany, from which he graduated in 1898. His early training in education and public administration laid the foundation for a long career in state government and public finance.

Following his graduation, Rockefeller began his professional life in the field of education. He served as principal of a grammar school in North Germantown, New York, and soon thereafter entered state service. From 1898 to 1904, he was employed in the finance bureau of the New York State Department of Public Instruction, where he gained experience in the financial administration of public education. In 1905 he joined the New York State Comptroller’s office as chief accountant of the municipal accounts bureau, a position he held until 1915, overseeing the examination and standardization of local government accounts.

Rockefeller’s responsibilities expanded as he advanced in New York State’s fiscal and tax administration. From 1915 to 1921 he served as deputy state tax commissioner, playing a role in the oversight and implementation of state tax policy. When the state reorganized its fiscal agencies, he became deputy state commissioner of taxation and finance, serving in that capacity from 1921 to 1933. In these roles he developed a reputation as a specialist in public finance, accounting, and taxation. After leaving state service in 1933, he entered private practice, engaging in the accounting and auditing business and establishing himself as an accountant and tax consultant.

Rockefeller’s long experience in public finance led him into more direct political activity. He was a delegate to the 1936 Republican National Convention, participating in the party’s national deliberations during the early years of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration. In 1937 he was elected as a Republican to the Seventy-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Philip A. Goodwin. Running on a platform that included opposition to Roosevelt’s New Deal policies, he was subsequently re-elected to the Seventy-sixth and Seventy-seventh Congresses, serving from November 2, 1937, to January 3, 1943. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, Rockefeller served on the Committee on Territories, Immigration and Claims, contributing to the consideration of legislation affecting U.S. territories, immigration policy, and claims against the federal government. His three terms in Congress coincided with the later years of the Great Depression and the early period of World War II, a time of major domestic and international challenges.

After leaving Congress in 1943, Rockefeller returned to private life and resumed his work as an accountant and tax consultant in Chatham, New York. Drawing on decades of experience in state fiscal administration and federal legislative service, he continued to be involved in financial and tax matters at the local and regional level.

Rockefeller was married to Clara Bain (1877–1973). He died in Canaan, New York, on September 18, 1948. He was interred in Kinderhook Cemetery in Kinderhook, New York.