CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Setti Warren, a respected public servant, educator, and director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics (IOP), has died at the age of 55, university officials confirmed this week.
Warren, who also served as the first African American mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, is being remembered across Harvard and the state as a “visionary and tireless leader” who dedicated his life to public service, mentorship, and civic renewal.
Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein and Harvard College Dean David Deming shared the news in a campus-wide message, describing Warren as a man whose life “stood as an example to us all.”
“Whenever he saw a challenge, he ran toward it—not away from it—and our university and country are better for it,” they wrote.
A Life of Service and Purpose
Before his time at Harvard, Warren’s career reflected a deep commitment to government and community. A graduate of Boston College, he served as a special assistant in the Clinton White House, New England director for FEMA, and deputy state director for Senator John Kerry. He also completed a tour of duty in Iraq as a naval intelligence specialist, an experience that shaped his lifelong belief in service and leadership.
As mayor of Newton from 2010 to 2018, Warren was celebrated for his focus on infrastructure, education, and inclusion, making history as the first Black mayor elected in Massachusetts.
At Harvard, he first led the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy before assuming directorship of the IOP, where he inspired students to “run toward politics rather than away from it.”
Remembered as a Mentor and Friend
Across Harvard, colleagues have described Warren as a warm and grounded leader who elevated those around him.
“Setti modeled the kind of generous leadership we hope our students will carry into the world,” said Fatema Sumar, executive director of Harvard’s Center for International Development.
“He always made me laugh, really laugh, no matter how long the day had been.”
Former U.S. Transportation Secretary and Harvard professor Anthony Foxx called Warren “a man of courage and purpose,” while Meghan O’Sullivan, director of the Belfer Center, praised him as “a gracious colleague who embodied the Kennedy School’s belief that politics can be a force for good.”
A Legacy That Lives On
Warren is survived by his wife and two children. Tributes have poured in from across the academic and political worlds, honoring his steadfast belief in public service as a moral calling.
His passing leaves a profound void at Harvard and within Massachusetts politics—but also a blueprint for what principled leadership can look like in a divided age.
“Setti’s students loved him,” Dean Weinstein said. “And their impact—like his—will reverberate for generations to come.”
