Setti Warren, director of the Harvard Institute of Politics (IOP), passed away suddenly on November 2. He was 55 years old.
A Boston College graduate, Warren earned his juris doctorate from Suffolk University Law School. He spent nine years as an intelligence specialist for the U.S. Navy Reserve and completed a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq. Before his tenure with Harvard, Warren had an extensive career in public service, including serving as special assistant in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs for President Bill Clinton, New England director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and deputy state director for Senator John Kerry. From 2010 to 2018, Warren served as mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, making him the first popularly elected African American mayor in the state.
Warren first joined the Harvard faculty as executive director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. In July 2022, he was appointed interim director of the IOP and was elevated to permanent director in March 2023. In addition to his leadership role, Warren taught as an adjunct lecturer in public policy.
“Setti was a beloved member of our community, and we are devastated by this heartbreaking news,” reads a statement from Harvard Kennedy School. “It’s often said that the measure of a person’s life is found in their service to others — and by that standard, Setti’s life stands as an example to us all.”
