| 2007 HILL FELLOW, CHARLES M. DENNY, JR.
 The University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs has selected Charles M. Denny, Jr., as the fifth Louis W. Hill, Jr., Fellow in Philanthropy. The one-year fellowship, housed within the Institute's Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, provides financial and administrative support to an outstanding community leader for the study of important issues in philanthropy. The year culminates with a public symposium during which the fellow presents his or her findings.
Denny joins the Humphrey Institute as a seasoned corporate citizen and philanthropist. From 1959 to 1970, Denny worked through the ranks at Honeywell, starting as a personnel assistant and finishing as vice president of marketing for the computer controls division. In 1971, he joined ADC Telecommunications, Inc., a manufacturer of communication equipment for telephone companies and large private networks. As president, chief executive officer, and ultimately chairman, Denny successfully revived the fledgling company and transformed it into what is today a billion-dollar global enterprise.
Since retiring in 1991, Denny has remained very active in civic and nonprofit organizations. Among his many activities, he is a board member of the Science Museum of Minnesota and a member of the Humphrey Institute Dean's Advisory Council, the Caux Round Table, the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union Foundation, and the Mayo Clinic Regional Council. He has received many honors and awards for his commitment to service, including the Tekne Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2001, a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, from both St. John's University and the University of Minnesota, and a Doctor of Humane Letters from the College of St. Catherine.
“A public affairs school often finds itself at the intersection of the public, nonprofit, and private sector, and Chuck has been examining this kind of leadership throughout his career,” said Humphrey Institute Dean J. Brian Atwood. “His corporate experience greatly will benefit our students and the Institute's highly ranked public and nonprofit management program.”
As the 2007–08 Hill Fellow, Denny plans to draw from his years of corporate service and volunteerism as he looks at corporate citizenship in modern America. What is the corporation's role in the triad of business, government, and the non-profit community? Within that role, what constitutes responsible corporate behavior? What is the role of corporate philanthropy? And how does our society develop leaders who will manage in the best interest of the public?
“I have known Chuck Denny for many years and have admired him as the consummate corporate and community leader. I am certain he will make a great contribution to the study of philanthropy through the Louis W. Hill Jr. Fellowship Program,” said Ellis Bullock, executive director of the Grotto Foundation, which along with the Northwest Area Foundation funds the fellowship.
The first Louis W. Hill, Jr. Fellowship was awarded to Joe Selvaggio, founder of Project for Pride in Living and the One Percent Club in Minneapolis. Dr. Reatha Clark King, retired General Mills Foundation president and board chair, was the second fellow. Sage and John Cowles, Jr., shared the fellowship in 2005, and Native American leader Laura Waterman Wittstock held it in 2006.
“I commend all the selection committees for their outstanding work in bringing so many experienced, highly regarded, and multi-diverse community leaders to explore the field of philanthropy from various perspectives,” said Bullock. “I believe the fellowship program has provided an enlightening range of views of philanthropy and its impact.”
Read Charles M. Denny, Jr.'s, final report: “The Corporation in Modern American Society”
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