Alida Rockefeller Messinger (born 1948) is an American philanthropist who is an heir to the Rockefeller family fortune.[1]
A donor to Democratic candidates and environmentalist causes, she is the former of wife of Minnesota governor and U.S. Senator Mark Dayton.[2] Messinger is also a sister of ex-West Virginia governor and U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller. She has notably been a major donor to progressive political causes in her home state of Minnesota.[3]
Messinger's father began to teach her about philanthropy when she was five years old.[7] She has said, "My father and mother's greatest fear was that their four children might take their wealth for granted and grow up spoiled and arrogant ... They wanted us to learn early that with wealth comes responsibility."[7]
Philanthropy
Messinger is a major donor to conservation[8] and environmental organizations. Her Alida R. Messinger Charitable Trust also funds conservation and environmental groups, as does the Rockefeller Family Fund, founded in 1967, of which she is a trustee.
Messinger also contributes financially to the Center for Public Integrity.[6] She is a significant political donor to progressive and Democratic causes, donating millions of dollars.[9][3]
Personal life
From 1978 to 1986, she was married to Mark Dayton (b. 1947), the son of Bruce Dayton, who was part of a family that started the retail store that eventually became Target. Dayton later served as a United States senator for Minnesota from 2001 until 2007 and as Governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019. Before divorcing in 1986, Messinger and Dayton had two sons together, Eric and Andrew Dayton.[10]
After the divorce, she married William Messinger, president of Aureus, an addiction recovery organization.[6] They have one daughter.
^Will Evans (September 9, 2008). "Profile: League of Conservation Voters". NPR. Retrieved 2010-01-11. Funders: In 2008, League of Conservation Voters' non-federal 527 received $275,000 from Alida Messinger;
^Dotty Lynch And Steve Chaggaris (July 23, 2004). "Washington Wrap". CBS News. Retrieved 2010-01-11. .....the following contributors have donated $1 million dollars of more to various democratic-leaning 527s..... Alida R. Messinger, trustee for the Rockefeller Family Fund, has contributed $1,177,000 this election cycle.
