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Dean McHenry

1910 – 1998

American political scientist

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About Dean McHenry

Lived 1910 – 1998 (aged 87). Dean McHenry was an American political scientist.

Dean E. McHenry (18 October 1910 – 17 March 1998) was an American professor of political science and the founding chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz.

McHenry was born in Lompoc, California, north of Santa Barbara. He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from UCLA in 1932, followed by a master's degree from Stanford University in 1933 and a Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley in 1936.

McHenry taught government at Williams College and political science at Pennsylvania State College, and became a member of the faculty of political science at UCLA. During his time at UCLA, he ran for several political offices, including mayor of Los Angeles and for the United States Congress. He also authored numerous books.

In 1958, he became the academic assistant to his long-time friend Clark Kerr, the then-president of the University of California, and in 1960 he helped Kerr draft California's Master Plan for Higher Education. The following year, he became the first chancellor of the new University of California Santa Cruz, a position he held for 13 years.

McHenry and his wife, Jane, had four children, including the noted anthropologist Henry McHenry.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles
Employers
Pennsylvania State University, Williams College

People in Dean McHenry's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Dean McHenry's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Dean McHenry?

American political scientist

When was Dean McHenry born?

Dean McHenry was born on 18 October 1910.

When did Dean McHenry die?

Dean McHenry died on 17 March 1998.

What was Dean McHenry's occupation?

Dean McHenry was a political scientist.

What nationality was Dean McHenry?

Dean McHenry was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Dean McHenry

· Wikidata: Q5246348

· DBpedia: Dean McHenry

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dean McHenry. https://biography.guide/dean-mchenry/

MLA: "Dean McHenry." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dean-mchenry/.

Chicago: "Dean McHenry." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dean-mchenry/.

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