Jarold A. Kieffer (May 5, 1923 – March 22, 2017) was the first Executive Director of the National Cultural Center, later renamed the

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

Early life

He was born in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

on May 5, 1923. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946, stationed in the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

and the Philippine Islands. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1950.

Career

He served in a variety of positions in the Eisenhower administration, including involvement in the Office of Defense Administration, the Committee on Government Organization, the Borrowing Authority Review Board, the President’s

Advisory Committee on Government Organization The U.S. President’s Advisory Committee on Government Organization (the Rockefeller Committee) was established by Executive Order 10432 on January 24, 1953.Government Printing Office. U.S. Government Organization Manual 1953-1954. Washington, DC: ...

, and the second Hoover Commission. From 1957–1958 he served as assistant to

Nelson D. Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

and then as assistant to the

Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...

from 1958–1959. In January 1961, Kieffer became the first Executive Director of the National Cultural Center (now known as the

John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

). He oversaw numerous fund raising efforts and assisted in creating the architectural plan for the Center. From 1970 to 1975 Kieffer worked in the

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

and the Department of Transportation. In 1978 he became the Director of the National Committee on Careers for Older Americans. In 1976, he helped found the Advanced Transit Authority (ATRA) where he served as secretary, treasurer, and later chairman of the Board of Directors. He authored the book ''From National Cultural Center to John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: At the Front End of the Beginning'' which was published in 2004.

Death

Kieffer died at his home in Fairfax, Virginia on March 22, 2017 at the age of 93.

References

External links

Papers of Jarold A. Kieffer, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kieffer, Jarold A. 1923 births People from Minneapolis 2017 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II American expatriates in the Philippines University of Minnesota alumni