The Rookie, one of many Saturday Evening Post covers

Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was a 20th century American painter and
illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States, where Rockwell is most famous
for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine
over more than four decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie
the Riveter (although his Rosie was reproduced less than others of the day), Saying Grace (1951), and the
Four Freedoms series.

Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894, in New York City to Jarvis Waring and Ann Mary Rockwell (nee Hill).

He had one brother, Jarvis Rockwell. Norman transferred from high school to the Chase Art School at the
age of 14. He then went on to the National Academy of Design and finally to the Art Students League.
There, he was taught by Thomas Fogarty, George Bridgman, and Frank Vincent Dumond; his early works were
produced for St. Nicholas Magazine, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) publication Boys' Life and other
juvenile publications. Joseph Csatari carried on his legacy and style for the BSA.

As a student, Rockwell was given smaller, less important jobs. His first major breakthrough came in 1912
at age eighteen with his first book illustration for Carl H. Claudy's Tell Me Why: Stories about Mother
Nature. In 1913, the nineteen-year old Rockwell became the art editor for Boys' Life, published by the
Boy Scouts of America, a post he held for three years (1913–1916). As part of that position, he painted
several covers, beginning with his first published magazine cover, Scout at Ship's Wheel, appearing on the
Boys' Life September 1913 edition.

Rockwell's success on the cover of the Post led to covers for other magazines of the day, most notably
The Literary Digest, The Country Gentleman, Leslie's Weekly, Judge, Peoples Popular Monthly and Life
Magazine.

Rockwell married his first wife, Irene O'Connor, in 1916. Irene was Rockwell's model in Mother Tucking
Children into Bed, published on the cover of The Literary Digest on January 19, 1921. However, the couple
divorced in 1930. He quickly married schoolteacher Mary Barstow, with whom he had three children: Jarvis
Waring, Thomas Rhodes and Peter Barstow. In 1939, the Rockwell family moved to Arlington, Vermont, which
seemed to inspire him to paint scenes of everyday small town American life. Rockwell also was commissioned
for several Christmas projects during his early years.

Rockwell married his third wife, retired Milton Academy English teacher, Molly Punderson, in 1961. His
last painting for the Post was published in 1963, marking the end of a publishing relationship that had
included 321 cover paintings. He spent the next 10 years painting for Look magazine, where his work
depicted his interests in civil rights, poverty and space exploration. During his long career, he was
commissioned to paint the portraits for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, as well as
those of foreign figures, including Gamal Abdel Nasser and Jawaharlal Nehru. One of his last works was a
portrait of legendary singer Judy Garland in 1969.

A custodianship of 574 of his original paintings and drawings was established with Rockwell's help near
his home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and the museum is still open today year round. For "vivid and
affectionate portraits of our country," Rockwell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, the
United States of America's highest civilian honor.

Norman Rockwell died November 8, 1978 of emphysema at age 84 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. First Lady
Rosalynn Carter attended his funeral.