From 1963 to 1978, John D. Rockefeller 3rd and his wife Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller worked with legendary art historian Sherman E. Lee (1918–2008) to assemble one of the most spectacular private collections of Asian art in the United States. The founder of Asia Society and son of collectors John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, JDR 3rd (1906–1978) played a leading role in fostering cultural understanding and cooperation between Asia and America during his lifetime. Lee was a dynamic former director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and was advisor to significant public and private American collections. Like JDR 3rd, Lee had extraordinary knowledge of the art and politics of Asia, and their partnership led to a very particular vision of collection building.