Rockefeller was a Republican who was often considered to be liberal , progressive , or moderate . In an agreement that was termed the Treaty of Fifth Avenue , Rockefeller persuaded Richard Nixon to alter the Republican Party platform just before the 1960 Republican Convention . In his time , liberals in the Republican Party were called " Rockefeller Republicans " . As Governor of New York from 1959 to 1973 , Rockefeller 's achievements included the expansion of the State University of New York , efforts to protect the environment , the construction of the Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza in Albany , increased facilities and personnel for medical care , and the creation of the New York State Council on the Arts
1960 Republican Convention
1960 Republican National Convention
Nelson Rockefeller