DUTTON, Frederick G. 1923-2005

(Frederick Gary Dutton)

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born June 16, 1923, in Julesburg, CO; died of complications following a stroke, June 25, 2005, in Washington, DC. Lawyer and author. Dutton was best known for his work as assistant to President John F. Kennedy and as chief of staff for California's Governor Pat Brown. After serving in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, during which time he was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge, became a prisoner of war, and earned a Bronze Star, he graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1946. He continued on to law school at Stanford University, where he earned an LL.B. in 1949. After working in private practice in San Mateo, California, he was an assistant council to the South Counties Gas Company in Los Angeles. He first became involved in politics by assisting Adlai Stevenson on Stevenson's unsuccessful presidential bid in 1956. Working as chief assistant to the attorney general of California, Pat Brown, Dutton next became involved in Brown's race for California governor, serving as campaign manager and helping Brown become the first Democrat to win that office. He continued to work for Brown as executive secretary and chief of staff. Dutton's skill as a campaigner led to his work in getting Kennedy elected U.S. president. Kennedy then appointed him a special assistant in 1961, and assistant secretary of state for congressional relations from 1962 to 1964. After Kennedy's 1963 assassination, Dutton took charge of the platform for the 1964 Democratic National Convention, wrote speeches for President Lyndon Johnson, and, in 1968, campaigned for Robert Kennedy. When Robert Kennedy, too, was assassinated, Dutton's enthusiasm for politics waned considerably, even though he worked on the unsuccessful bids for president by Democrat Hubert Humphrey and then George McGovern. During the 1960s, Dutton was also noted for his active service on the University of California at Berkeley board, where he was unpopular for favoring students' rights and often butted heads with then-Governor Ronald Reagan. Setting up a private practice in Washington, DC, in 1967, Dutton moved away from his involvement with the Democratic Party. Nevertheless, he was often involved in politics as a lobbyist for Saudi Arabia, beginning in 1975. While on the Saudis' payroll, he did everything from defending Saudis who had been accused of crimes on American soil to helping negotiate arms deals with the United States. The author of Changing Sources of Power: American Politics in the 1970s (1971), Election Guide for 1972 (1972), and Political Profiles: The Kennedy Years (1976), Dutton was notable, too, for organizing the serving as the first coordinator of the John F. Kennedy Library, establishing the Kennedy Oral History Project, and serving as founding director of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Chicago Tribune, July 1, 2005, section 3, p. 9.

Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2005, p. B7.

New York Times, June 27, 2005, p. A14.

Washington Post, June 26, 2005, p. C10.