It is with sadness that we share news of the passing of Robert Kittner. Mr. Kittner was an early supporter of the Coolidge Foundation. He served for many years on the board of trustees, including as board president.
Working alongside Mimi Baird, Mr. Kittner co-chaired a major four-day 75th anniversary celebration of President Coolidge’s inauguration in 1998. The celebration included a two-day conference, “Calvin Coolidge: Re-examining the Evidence,” at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, and a two-day reenactment celebration in Plymouth Notch.
When John Coolidge, the president’s eldest son, passed away in 2000, Mr. Kittner penned a remembrance in his honor. Writing for the Rutland Herald, Mr. Kittner commended John Coolidge’s preservation work in Plymouth Notch, noting that Mr. Coolidge had helped “save a village for history.” The Foundation that summer dedicated a performance of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra in Plymouth Notch in John Coolidge’s honor.
Governor Jim Douglas fondly remembers his time serving on the board with Mr. Kittner: “The Coolidge Foundation is strong today because of the dedication of so many who went before us. Robert Kittner was committed to preserving the legacy and promoting the values of President Coolidge. We’re grateful for his dedicated service.”
Born in Clifton, New Jersey in 1922, during the Harding administration, Mr. Kittner served as a pilot during the Second World War before returning home to study at Rutgers University.
Mr. Kittner made his career in the hospitality industry — getting his start building a ski lodge in Vermont. He later joined Sheraton and traveled the world as a part of the company’s international division, eventually rising to vice president for South Asia.
Fittingly, Mr. Kittner returned to Vermont in retirement, but he wasn’t done building. His efforts on the Coolidge Foundation board of trustees helped usher in a period of transition and growth.
The Coolidge Foundation sends its condolences and thanks to the Kittner family.