Dan H. Fenn (#8.33)

A Register of his White House Staff Files, 1961-1964
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Collection Description

Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1961-1964
White House Staff Files 1961-1964
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). White House Staff files relating to Fenn’s position as staff assistant to President John F. Kennedy and his involvement in government recruitment.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
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 The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form.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
The White House staff files of Dan H. Fenn were found in the White House Staff Files of Dorothy Davies. The White House Staff Files of Dorothy Davies were donated to the John F. Kennedy Library in 1965 as part of the papers of John F. Kennedy.

Extent
About 3,750 items (3 linear feet and 4 linear inches; 3.75 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).

Date Opened
December 2006.

Finding Aid Prepared by
Rachel Searcy.

Related Collections
Dan H. Fenn, Jr. Papers , John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Dan Fenn Oral History Interview, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
White House Staff Files of Dorothy Davies , John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
White House Staff Files of Ralph A. Dungan , John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
White House Staff Files of Lawrence F. O’Brien , John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
White House Staff Files of Kenneth P. O’Donnell , John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
White House Staff Files of George D. O’Gorman , John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

The White House Staff Files of Dan H. Fenn (#8.33)

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 presidential papers of John F. Kennedy consist of several major bodies of research material. The White House Central Subject File is the principal White House file. The White House Name File contains copies of most incoming correspondence arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent and is cross-referenced to the Subject File. The Chronological File contains copies of documents prepared for the president’s signature and is also cross-referenced to the Subject File. The Social File contains the records of the White House Social Office and includes the correspondence of the First Lady. The President’s Office File contains the papers maintained by the president's personal secretary for his use. The National Security File contains the records of the staff of the special assistant to the president for national security affairs.

In addition, in what were called in the White House “storage” or “overflow” files are found various miscellaneous materials and the records of the offices of most members of the president’s staff. The files described in this finding aid constitute one of the series of White House Staff Files included in the presidential papers of John F. Kennedy.

These files document the efforts of Dan H. Fenn and other White House staff to fill the many presidential and non-presidential appointments that became available in the new Administration, with particular emphasis on positions in the newly reorganized foreign aid organizations. Also included are files related to conferences devoted to executive government recruiting, which feature Fenn as both a participant and organizer.

List of Series
Series 1. Recruitment Files, 1961-1964

Collection Description

Series 1. Recruitment Files, 1961-1964.
About 3,750 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by type of material, thereunder alphabetical by applicant surname or subject.

This series consists of recruitment files related to the appointment process in the Kennedy Administration. Materials include formal and informal memoranda, letters, recommendations, evaluations, formal employment applications, resumes, and writings by Fenn explaining government recruitment practices and procedures. The materials document the role of Fenn’s office in selecting candidates for executive positions and display the Administration’s priorities, as evidenced by the urgency to appoint candidates to the newly reorganized foreign aid agencies. Researchers should note that the original order of these materials, including any inconsistencies in alphabetization or categorization, has been retained.