Kenneth P. O'Donnell
| Kenny O'Donnell | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| White House Appointments Secretary | |
|
In office January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963 |
|
| President | John F. Kennedy |
| Preceded by |
Thomas Stephens (Appointments Secretary) Wilton Persons (Chief of Staff) |
| Succeeded by | W. Marvin Watson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kenneth Patrick O'Donnell March 4, 1924 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died |
September 9, 1977 (aged 53) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holyhood Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Sullivan (1947–1977) Asta Steinfatt (1977) |
| Relations | Cleo O'Donnell (father) |
| Children | 3 sons, 2 daughters |
| Education |
Harvard University (BA) Boston College (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 U.S. Army Air Forces
|
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Kenneth O'Donnell (March 4, 1924 – September 9, 1977) was an American political consultant and the special assistant and appointments secretary to President John F. Kennedy from 1961 until Kennedy's assassination in November 1963. O'Donnell was a close friend of President Kennedy and his younger brother Robert F. Kennedy, and was part of the group of Kennedy's close advisers dubbed the "Irish Mafia."
O'Donnell also served as an aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1963 to 1965. He later served as an adviser to Robert Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign.
Kenneth Patrick O'Donnell was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and raised in Boston. Both of his parents were Catholics of Irish descent. His father, Cleo O'Donnell, was the football coach at the College of the Holy Cross Crusaders for two decades and later athletics director for all sports activities. O'Donnell's older brother, also named Cleo, was a football star at Harvard during the 1940s. Following graduation from Harvard, O'Donnell attended law school at Boston College from 1950–51. He later worked as a salesman for the Hollingsworth & Vose Paper Company and then the Whitney Corporation, both in Boston, from 1951 to 1952. O'Donnell later worked in public relations from 1952 to 1957.
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