Born in Bloomington, Illinois , Rockwell briefly studied philosophy at Brown University before dropping out to join the Navy. Rockwell's politics grew more radical and vocal in the s, and he was honorably discharged due to his views in In politics, he regularly praised Adolf Hitler , referring to him as the "White Savior of the twentieth century". He blamed the civil rights movement on Jews, and viewed most of them as traitors.
On August 25, , Rockwell was shot and killed in Arlington by John Patler , a former party member expelled by Rockwell for alleged "Bolshevik leanings". Both parents were vaudeville comedians and actors.
His parents divorced when Rockwell was six years old, and for the rest of his youth he divided his time between his mother in Atlantic City, New Jersey , and his father in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.
However, he was denied admission. One year later, his father enrolled him at Hebron Academy in Hebron, Maine. Rockwell appreciated the order and discipline of the Navy, and attended flight schools in Massachusetts and Florida in The couple had three daughters: Bonnie, Nancy, and Phoebe Jean. Rockwell did not get along with his in-laws; he blamed them for not raising Judith to be "docile and compliant", his image of the perfect wife. His marriage was marred with violent arguments and on at least one occasion, he struck his wife.
After the war ended, Rockwell worked as a sign painter out of a small shop on land owned by his father in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. In , Rockwell was recalled to duty as a lieutenant commander at the beginning of the Korean War. He adopted the corncob pipe , following MacArthur's example.
