Douglas J. Bennet
15th President of Wesleyan University
In office
July 1, 1995 – June 30, 2007
Preceded byWilliam Chace
Succeeded byMichael S. Roth
19th Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs
In office
May 26, 1993 – May 31, 1995
Appointed byBill Clinton
Preceded byJohn Bolton
Succeeded byPrinceton Lyman
7th Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
In office
1979–1981
Appointed byJimmy Carter
Preceded byJohn J. Gilligan
Succeeded byM. Peter McPherson
Personal details
Born
Douglas Joseph Bennet Jr.

(1938-06-23)June 23, 1938
Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJune 10, 2018(2018-06-10) (aged 79)
Essex, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Susanne Klejman
​
​
(m. 1959; div. 1995)​
Midge Bowen Ramsey
​
(m. 1996)​
Children3, including Michael and James
EducationWesleyan University (BA)
University of California, Berkeley (MA)
Harvard University (PhD)

Douglas Joseph Bennet Jr. (June 23, 1938 – June 10, 2018) was an American political official and college president. He was the fifteenth president of Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Connecticut, from 1995 to 2007. Before that, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs in the Clinton Administration (1993–95) and Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs in the Carter administration (1977–79), was the president and CEO of National Public Radio (1983–93), and ran the United States Agency for International Development under President Carter (1979–81).[1]

Early life and education

Born in Orange, New Jersey, to Douglas Joseph Bennet Sr. and Phoebe (Benedict) Bennet, Bennet grew up in Lyme, Connecticut, and attended the local public schools. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University in 1959, an M.A. in history from the University of California, Berkeley in 1960, and a doctorate in history from Harvard University in 1968.[2]

Career

He was an assistant to Ambassador to India Chester Bowles in the 1960s.[3]

In 1970, he announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary for Connecticut's 2nd congressional district, which was vacated by the death of Congressman William St. Onge,[4] but later withdrew from the race.[5] In 1974, he sought the Democratic nomination for the same seat, but was defeated at the district convention by Christopher Dodd.[6]

He later served on the staffs of Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton, Minnesota Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, and Connecticut Senator Abraham Ribicoff.[7][8] In 1977, Bennet became United States Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs.[8]

Bennet succeeded John J. Gilligan as the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development in 1979, where he served for two years.[9][10] After heading a private research institute, he was named head of NPR in 1983.[3] In 1993, President Bill Clinton named Bennet as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, where he served until 1995.[11][12]

In April 1995, Bennet succeeded William Chace, becoming the fifteenth president of Wesleyan University.[13]

On May 4, 2006, Bennet announced that he would step down as president following the 2006–2007 academic year. The last several years of his twelve-year presidency were contentious in some respects, with opposition by a minority in the student body on certain matters. Some students believed Bennet's fundraising priorities conflicted with the interests and needs of the student body, and the university's mission of education. A student movement came to a head in December 2004, when approximately 250 students (of more than 2,700 undergraduates) protested in front of the administrative building South College, where Bennet's office was located, demanding that he address student concerns.[14] On March 26, 2007, Wesleyan's board of trustees announced that Michael S. Roth would succeed Bennet as president for the 2007–2008 academic year.[15]

Awards

In 1994, Bennet received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Wesleyan; in 2008, he received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Trinity College. In 2011, Bennet was named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[16] In 2012, a residence hall in the Fauver Frosh housing complex at Wesleyan was renamed Bennet Hall in honor of former President Bennet.[17]

Personal

On June 27, 1959, Bennet married Susanne Klejman of Washington, D.C.[18] They have three children, Michael, James, and Holly. They divorced in 1995. In 1996 he married Midge Bowen Ramsey, a vice president at National Public Radio.[2]

Bennet died at his home in Essex, Connecticut, on June 10, 2018, at the age of 79. His health had declined after a fall he sustained five years prior.[2]

References

  1. ^ Boo, Katherine (January 15, 2007). "Expectations – Can the students who became a symbol of failed reform be rescued?". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c Genzlinger, Neil (June 14, 2018). "Douglas J. Bennet, 79, Whose Leadership Brought Prosperity to NPR and Wesleyan". The New York Times. p. B15. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Molotsky, Irvin (October 29, 1983). "Ex-AID Director Heads Public Radio". The New York Times. p. 55.
  4. ^ "Lyme Man Will Run". The New York Times. June 11, 1970. p. 48.
  5. ^ "Bennet Leaves Contest for 2nd District Seat". Hartford Courant. June 20, 1970. p. 59.
  6. ^ "Ratchford, Pac Vow Primaries". Hartford Courant. July 23, 1974. p. 1.
  7. ^ Kneeland, Douglas E. (August 2, 1972). "Behind Eagleton's Withdrawal: A Tale of Confusion and Division". The New York Times. p. 1.
  8. ^ a b "3 State Dept. Appointments Are Ratified". The Washington Post. March 12, 1977. p. A6.
  9. ^ "Bennet, State Dept. Official, To Head AID". The Washington Post. June 12, 1979. p. A14.
  10. ^ "Ex-State Dept. Official to Head National Public Radio". Los Angeles Times. October 28, 1983. p. A2.
  11. ^ "NPR Names New President". The New York Times. August 19, 1993. p. C18. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  12. ^ "Susan Daggett, Michael Bennet". The New York Times. October 26, 1997. p. ST7. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  13. ^ Sullivan, Ronald (April 4, 1995). "New President Of Wesleyan Is an Alumnus". The New York Times. p. B5. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  14. ^ Hall, Katharine (December 10, 2004). "Students trap Bennet in office, demand to be heard". Wesleyan Argus. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  15. ^ "Wesleyan University's sixteenth President". Wesleyan University. Archived from the original on January 5, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  16. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ Good Luck on Finals, Wesleyan University. By Michael S. Roth. May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  18. ^ "Miss Susanne Klejman Wed to D. J. Bennet Jr". The New York Times. June 28, 1959. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
Government offices Preceded byRobert J. McCloskey Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs March 18, 1977 – August 2, 1979 Succeeded byJ. Brian Atwood Preceded byJohn J. Gilligan Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development 1979–1981 Succeeded byM. Peter McPherson Business positions Preceded byFrank Mankiewicz President and CEO of National Public Radio 1983–1993 Succeeded byDelano Lewis Government offices Preceded byJohn R. Bolton Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs May 26, 1993 – May 31, 1995 Succeeded byPrinceton N. Lyman
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