Alumni Memorial
Edward L. Hennessy, Jr. ’45 memorial
Edward Hennessey, Jr. graduated from English High class of ’45 just as WWII ended. He did not have the opportunity to serve. But his best friend from English, although a class later, was Paul X. Kelly ’46 Commandant of the US Marines, did serve and became a four-star General. For an EHS education carried them to successful careers in very different arenas.
Ed became an incredibly accomplished business mogul, after walking away from the seminary he was attending. He could not stomach learning Greek he said, a course required to become ordained. He told me he disliked the teacher!
In retrospect, Ed’s business acumen and leadership were mentioned in the same breath as the JP Morgans and modern-day Herb Chambers of the world; he was undoubtedly a ‘business titan’.
His first accomplishment was leading Allied Signal to diversification when it became corporately wise. While Allied’s CEO, he shrewdly acquired many other firms. His training was not MBA schooling but was learned from the best in the business world. Harold Geneen at ITT and Harry Gray of United Technologies were two of his mentors. He rubbed elbows with Jack Welch of GE and the like. Over time, he gained a reputation for being ‘tough and mean’ to get deals done. (This is a direct quote from his memoir.) 
He met most of the U.S. Presidents since the 60’s, including Richard Nixon. His business world travels read like a Who’s Who of famous people and places. He even loaned his company plane to Nixon for a trip to China once!
When I was EHS alumni President, I visited Ed in Florida on an Alumni fundraising mission, Ed related a President Nixon story, ironic as it may seem. When Ed and Nixon attended the same corporate Board meetings evenings in Manhattan, Nixon would always ask Ed for a ride home since they both lived in NJ; Nixon in upper Bergen County Jersey, Saddle River, and Ed quite a way away in New Vernon, NJ. It ticked Ed off that he ‘had’ to give the former President a ride home ‘way out of my way’. This was the amazing world he lived and prospered in.
He wrote a memoir in the 1980’s called, Making the American Dream a Reality. Published privately in limited quantity, he gave a few copies to the English High Alumni Association which are cherished. In it, Ed photo documents meeting many U.S. Presidents as well as many famous country leaders of Pakistan, India, England and Gorbachev in Russia. His book is dotted with pointed stories of all these meetings, Shakespearean asides, and all. For Ed, one of the highest points was meeting Pope Paul II. He strongly supported the Catholic church and education.
To assist the EHSA and its students, Ed offered scholarships to seniors who wanted to go to either Fairleigh Dickinson and/or Rutgers, both colleges in NJ.
Ed owned multiple homes and even in retirement in Florida, made many philanthropic gifts with his wife, Ruth, to whom he attributed much of his success. Together their ‘largess’ to various organizations is their legacy.
Despite Ed’s scarcity of connections during our Association’s heyday and our 200th Anniversary celebration run-up, he was a dedicated Man of Service to Mankind. His Service was mostly on the business side. For this, we shall remember him as one of our Champions of EHSA forever. May he rest in peace.
(There are a few copies of his book at the Alumni office for those who want to make a donation to the Association in return—An amazing read!)
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