By Pat Lawrence
Sharon Percy Rockefeller |
Many women from the 60’s have lived to see sweeping changes
in the status of women in America. Sharon Rockefeller has lived to
make them. Along the way, she also contributed her considerable drive
and organizational talent to enhancing art, culture, education and
enterprise first in West Virginia, and now, nationally.
For the past 13 years, Sharon Rockefeller has worked full time as
President/ CEO of WETA, the flagship public broadcaster of educational,
informational, cultural and public affairs programming in the nation's
capital. It’s a position of profound responsibility offering
infinite opportunity for leadership - a situation that suits her well
and one that her life seems almost tailored to fulfill.
Sharon was raised in Chicago. Her mother died when she was three.
Her father, president of the Bell & Howell camera company, traveled
extensively, often taking his daughters and son with him. After 25
years, he retired and ran for public office, serving 18 years as a
US senator. Sharon liked campaigning with him. “Dad was a businessman
and had to learn politics from the ground up - in 101 Illinois counties!
I was turning 15 when he first ran for office. I went to Stanford
University, but interned in Washington in 1965 and met Jay. He was
a legislator, preparing to run for state office. We married in 1967,
so I’ve been on the campaign trail every 4-6 years of my life
since I was 15.”
The long hours and extensive travel required from public officials
and their families made raising four kids difficult, but Sharon is
proud of her family and their contributions. She says, “Every
American should see for herself how complicated, how time consuming,
the political process is - the 12-16 hour days, the late nights and
working weekends, how much is rewarding, how much is frustrating -
at every level. But, I learned about people and human nature. And,
I learned about power and how people use it to good ends. I found
I like people who are driven by what they do.”
That isn’t surprising for a woman selected “Outstanding
Young American” in 1977. After working as a delegate for President
Carter at the Democratic National Convention in 1976, helping build
a youth center in Africa and serving as Vice Chairman of the WV International
Women's Year coordinating committee, she was active with the Advisory
Board of the National Women's Political Caucus and the Women's Campaign
Fund. She received an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service from Alderson-Broaddus
College.
Mrs. Rockefeller has remained a keen political advocate for women’s
issues. “I got very involved on my own as well as with Jay.
It was a different arena then. The rules of the game began changing
in the early 70’s. I chose Stanford because it was a co-ed university
rather than a woman’s college. It’s easy to forget, but
schools like Harvard and Yale did not enroll women when I was a student.”
A month back from her honeymoon, Sharon visited the Ripley Arts and
Crafts fair. The artistry she saw there resulted in the eventual creation
of Mountain Artisans, a craft and quilting business for low-income
artisans, most of them women. “It took two years to get funding,
because no one wanted to loan money to three women. We wouldn’t
take no for an answer. Finally, we received $8000 as an anti-poverty
project.” Mountain Artisans has expanded into a number of thriving
organizations and endures as a triumphant example of what a few dedicated
people can accomplish.
Although a regular listener of “Washington Week” as an
intern for Gerald Ford, “My relationship with public broadcasting
really began with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. As a mother, I saw
how important it was for children to experience entertaining, quality,
educational television.”
But, her first broadcasting venture was in radio. “Wesleyan
had a public station but there wasn’t another in the state.
I lobbied for public radio after Jay got elected, but there was no
acceptance of the idea. People didn’t know about it. We were
able to use some legislative money for public television to introduce
people to public radio.” Mrs. Rockefeller served 15 years on
the WV Educational Broadcasting Authority board. Her vision, commitment
and effort resulted in the establishment and development of West Virginia
Public Radio, one of the most effective public radio networks in the
nation.
Sharon’s skills, along with her work for Jimmy Carter, resulted
in an appointment to the Corporation for National Public Broadcasting
board. She served for 14 years and chaired the Corporation for 4 years.
“That’s where I learned about the complexity of public
broadcasting.”
As a WETA board member, Sharon became very familiar with the station.
After years of volunteer work, when the president of WETA retired,
she applied for the position - and got it. She says, “I enjoy
the organizational side. I like running an organization.”
Sharon has shepherded the WETA telecommunication stations into digital
multicasting, high definition broadcasts and 12 hours daily of children’s
television. Diverse programming ranges from "The NewsHour with
Jim Lehrer" to broadcasts of stellar performances from Kennedy
Center and the White House.
She leads an incredibly full life serving on the boards of the National
Gallery of Art, the National Cathedral, the Kennedy Center, and others,
still presiding over the Charleston home and Pocahontas County farm
the family has maintained for over 30 years. Sharon is proud to be
the third generation of Rockefellers to join the board of the Museum
of Modern Art. She was recognized by the National Endowment for the
Humanities in 1994 for outstanding achievements in promoting the arts
and humanities. Appreciative of the opportunities presented in her
life, Mrs. Rockefeller admits they might have been nourished by one
other factor,
“I like to work.”
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