Dan Huntington Fenn Jr.

Dan H. Fenn Jr., founding Director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and one of the last surviving senior members of President Kennedy’s White House staff, died at the age of 97 on August 14, 2020 in Cambridge, Mass.

He remained active until his death. He taught at Harvard for 56 years, recently holding his class at the Kennedy School Executive Management Program by Zoom this past June. He mentored thousands of students over his many years and was one of the most popular teachers well into his 90s. He also taught courses at Tufts, Baruch College, American University, Wharton, University of Virginia, Boston University, Brandeis, and University of Washington.

Fenn spearheaded the building of the Kennedy Library and Museum at Columbia Point and helped make it one of the most popular presidential libraries by orchestrating programs for young people and exhibits that brought government and politics alive to audiences from around the world. Fenn felt it was important that President Kennedy’s belief that “government and politics was a noble profession” be communicated through the library.

Fenn served as Staff Assistant to the President from 1961-1963 and put together what is now the modern-day Presidential Personnel office in the White House. One of the highlights of President Kennedy’s administration was to attract distinguished Americans from all walks of life to serve their country -- “to ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

After his service in the White House, Dan Fenn was appointed as Vice Chairman and member of the U.S. Tariff Commission from 1963 to 1967.

Prior to going to Washington in the early 1960s, Fenn was a faculty member of the Harvard Business School, Assistant Editor of the Harvard Busines Review, and Editor of the Harvard Business School Bulletin. He also was the Executive Director of the Boston World Affairs Council in the late 1940s and early 1950s, with the support of Eleanor Roosevelt.

After returning from World War II, where he served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a Warrant Officer in Italy, Fenn finished his studies at Harvard and became Assistant Dean of Harvard College from 1946-1949. Fenn was in the class of 1944, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He was also President of the Harvard Crimson, the daily paper, prior to going off to war in 1943.

For his service to Harvard, Dan Fenn was awarded the Harvard Medal at commencement in 2019.

Fenn was a longtime resident of Lexington, MA where he served two terms on the School Committee and two terms on the Select Board. He has been a Town Meeting member for nearly 60 years, a proud member of the Lexington Minute Men for three decades, President of the Lexington Historical Society, founding President of the Lexington Education Foundation, as well as serving on many boards and committees in town. For his service, he received the Lion’s Club White Tricorne Hat award in 2000 and the Minuteman Cane Award in 2011, given to an active senior citizen over 80 years of age. When he passed away the flags on the Lexington Battle Green were lowered to half-staff.

Dan Fenn is survived by seven children, fourteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Dan H. Fenn, Jr. Lexington Minute Men Grant Award, c/o Lexington Select Board/ Trustees of Public Trusts, 1625 Mass Ave., Lexington, MA 02420.