Kenneth Rush

1910–1994

David Kenneth Rush grew up in Greeneville. He graduated from UT with a major in history in 1930 and earned the LLB from Yale University in 1931, where he was editor of the Law Review. He then practiced law in New York City with the firm of Chadbourne, Stanchfield & Levy. He was hired in early 1936 as a lawyer by Union Carbide in New York. After a year on the faculty of Duke Law School, where he taught Richard M. Nixon, he joined the Law Department of Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation, of which he became vice president in 1939, director in 1958, executive vice president in 1961, and president in 1966.

Rush resigned from all private positions in 1969 to accept appointment as ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, in which post he helped negotiate the groundbreaking agreement in 1971 (Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin) that ended the postwar crisis over Berlin. President Richard Nixon appointed him deputy secretary of defense in 1972, and the next year Rush became deputy secretary of state, serving as acting secretary of state between the departure of William P. Rogers and the arrival of Henry Kissinger. In May 1974 he served President Nixon as counselor for economic policy, a position of cabinet rank. In September 1974 President Gerald Ford appointed him ambassador to France, a position he held until his retirement on March 17, 1977. He then became director of the Alliance to Save Energy and the Atlantic Council of the United States.

He served as a member and committee chair of the UT Development Council from 1963 until his death. In 1962 he delivered the December UT commencement address, “Education for a Life of Accelerating Change,” and the summer 1977 commencement address.

Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Title Kenneth Rush
  • Coverage 1910–1994
  • Author
  • Keywords Kenneth Rush
  • Website Name Volopedia
  • Publisher University of Tennessee Libraries
  • URL
  • Access Date July 9, 2025
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update October 16, 2018