Overview
- Harvard leaders and Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller confirmed Warren’s passing on Sunday and described it as unexpected, with no cause disclosed.
- Warren had led Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics since 2022 after serving as executive director of the Shorenstein Center.
- He served two terms as Newton mayor from 2010 to 2018 and was the first popularly elected Black mayor in Massachusetts.
- His public-service career included roles in the Clinton White House, as John Kerry’s deputy state director, as FEMA’s New England regional director, and service in the U.S. Naval Reserve with time related to Iraq.
- Tributes from officials including Elizabeth Warren, Ayanna Pressley, Katherine Clark, and Jake Auchincloss praised his mentorship; he is survived by his wife, Tassy, and their children, Abigail and John, and a Harvard memorial is being planned.