John King Jenney ’25

Body

John died Sept. 3, 2005, just two days shy of his 101st birthday, in Kennett Square, Pa.

Reportedly a Phi Beta Kappa, John prepared for Princeton at Kent School. At Princeton he was secretary of the senior council, class secretary/treasurer, and chairman of the undergraduate athletic/schools committees. He was a member of the prom committee, secretary of the Intracollegiate Athletic Committee and Ivy Club, a member of Whig Hall, and manager of the baseball team. His class voted him one of the most respected, best all-round classmates outside of athletics, most thorough gentleman, hardest worker, and most likely to succeed.

After graduation, John continued serving Princeton and his class. He served as Annual Giving agent and class president, secretary, treasurer, and reunion chairman. He was awarded the silver cane as the oldest returning alumnus at his 75th reunion in 2000.

Outside of Princeton, John was an accomplished tennis player and avid fox hunter. He was director of the foreign relations department of DuPont, president of the Delaware Art Museum, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He served on numerous boards.

Predeceased by a son, Marshall W. Jenney '63, John is survived by his wife, Mary, a second son, John Jr., and several grandchildren. Paraphrasing a family member, John was orange and black through and through. Among the things he loved best during his life were Princeton and the Class of 1925.

The Class of 1925

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The cover of PAW’s November 2024 issue, featuring an illustration of a military tank that's made out of a pink brain, and the headline "Armed With Ideas: Princetonians lead think tanks through troubled political times."
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