Dan H. Fenn, Jr. (#73)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1952-1986
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Description


Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1952-1986
Educator, government official. Faculty member, Harvard Business School (1955-1961); special assistant to Senator Benjamin Smith of Massachusetts (1961); staff assistant to President Kennedy (1961-1963); Tariff Commissioner (1963-1967); president, Center for Business-Government Relations (1969-1971); Director, John F. Kennedy Library (1972-1986); faculty member and lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration (1976-1980). Personal and professional papers including materials related to Fenn’s position as a Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy, his appointment to the United States Tariff Commission, and his work as a consultant and a professor of business-government relations.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed May 1975, copyright of these materials has been assigned to the United States. Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from Dan H. Fenn, Jr. of Lexington, MA, between December 1971 and September 1996 (Acc. 1973-027, 1974-034, 1975-050, 1981-081, 1983-003, 1983-037, 1983-055, 1984-080, 1985-007, 1996-048).

Extent
About 28,500 items (34 linear feet, 1 linear inch ; 39 cubic feet)

Withdrawn Items
Selected folders may contain withdrawal sheets where documents, in accordance with the donor's deed of gift, were removed from the collection. These include documents which may be used to injure or harass any living person. All withdrawn documents have been placed under seal and upon request the Kennedy Library will review any material which has been closed for a period of not less than 2 years for the purpose of opening items which no longer require restrictions. Researchers should consult the reference staff to obtain the appropriate form(s).

Items Separated
Items separated include photographs, cassette tapes, printed material (PM-73), and oversize material (OVZ-73).  See audiovisual archives for photographs and cassette tapes.

Date Opened
May 2005.

Processed by
Erica Boudreau, Jennifer Blake, and Tara Steiss

Finding Aid Prepared by
Jennifer Blake and Erica Boudreau

Encoded by
James M. Roth

Related Collections
Dan Fenn Oral History Interview, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Robert P. Fitzgerald Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Edward Hanify Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Records of the John F. Kennedy Library Corporation, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Robert F. Kennedy Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Stephen E. Smith Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Records of the U.S. General Services Administration, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Robert Wood Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
  

The Personal Papers of Dan H. Fenn, Jr. (1923- )

Biographical Note
Dan H. Fenn, Jr., was born in 1923, and graduated from Harvard College in 1944. He served in the Army in Italy in World War II, and upon his discharge was appointed Assistant Dean of freshmen at Harvard. Fenn served as a faculty member and lecturer at the Harvard School of Business from 1955 to 1961. In 1961 he served briefly as a special assistant to Senator Benjamin Smith of Massachusetts before becoming a staff assistant to President John F. Kennedy, a position which he held until 1963. Fenn was then appointed to the United States Tariff Commission, where he served as a Commissioner from 1963 to 1967. Fenn was president of the Center for Business-Government Relations in Washington, D.C. from 1969 to 1971, during which time he also taught a seminar on Business-Government Relations at American University. In 1972 he became the first Director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Fenn also returned to the Harvard Business School as a faculty member and lecturer. He retired from his position as Director of the JFK Library in 1986. Dan Fenn lives in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he has been active in town politics for over fifty years.

Collection Overview
The papers of Dan H. Fenn, Jr. primarily consists of materials related to Fenn’s position as a Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy, his appointment to the United States Tariff Commission, and his work as a consultant and a professor of business-government relations. The papers are arranged into three series: Correspondence, Subject Files, and Writings. The Correspondence series relates primarily to Dan Fenn’s personal matters. The Subject Files consists of three subseries: Kennedy Administration Files, Tariff Commission Files, and General Subject Files. The Writings series consists of the published and non-published writings of Fenn, including published articles and books.

List of Series

Collection Description

Series 1. Correspondence, 1961-1986.
About 3,400 items.
Arrangement: chronological, thereunder alphabetical.

This series contains correspondence relating primarily to Dan Fenn’s personal matters. Much of the correspondence contained here consists of letters written to Fenn to congratulate him or ask for his assistance. Please note that correspondence kept by Fenn relating to his time as a staff assistant to President Kennedy can be found in Series 2.1. Subject Files: Kennedy Administration Files.
  

Series 2. Subject Files.
About 23,500 items.

This series is arranged into three subseries: Kennedy Administration Files, Tariff Commission Files, and General Subject Files.
   

Series 3. Writings, 1954-1981.
About 1,450 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject, chronological by publication date thereunder.

This series primarily contains the published and non-published writings of Dan H. Fenn, Jr. Folders contain handwritten notes, correspondence, and drafts relating to various projects, as well as copies of published articles and books. Also included in this series are two monographs that contain handwritten dedications to Fenn from the authors.