Fred Dutton - Political Career

Political Career

Following his position as assistant counsel with Southern Counties Gas Co., from 1952 to 1956, Dutton became chief assistant attorney general of California, in 1957 and 1958. He was executive secretary to Governor Pat Brown in 1959 and 1960.

Governor Brown appointed Dutton to the Regents of the University of California in 1962, where he served until 1978.

Dutton was the deputy national chairman of Citizens for Kennedy-Johnson in 1960. Following the election, he was brought into the White House as a Special Assistant to President Kennedy in 1961, serving as secretary of the cabinet and special assistant for intergovernmental and interdepartmental relations. He was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations, from 1961 to 1964. He was also a political adviser and campaign aide to Robert F. Kennedy.

Dutton travelled with Kennedy during much of his 1968 presidential campaign. He was at the Ambassador Hotel when Kennedy was shot and rode in the ambulance with him. In an interview after he became a lobbyist, he said, “After Bobby was shot, the lights went out for me.”

Dutton was credited with originating the idea for Earth Day. His early memo was later acknowledged to be inspiration for Gaylord Nelson who would lead the effort to create Earth Day. .